Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise noted. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance with accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.

NACD Blog: Bonded by a love for managing the land
10/23/19

The Amish community makes up more than 44 percent of LaGrange County – the third-largest Amish community in the United States – so working with them to address issues like getting cattle out of drainage ditches and managing forestland is critical.

NACD Blog: Inspiring People, Investing in Tomorrow: NCF Next Generation Leadership Institute
10/23/19

At the core of every inspirational story is one consistent thing: Inspired people.

NACD Blog: Workshop helps expand the network of agroforestry technical service providers
10/21/19

In September, the Washington State University (WSU) Extension, Oregon State University (OSU), the Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Working Group, and the USDA National Agroforestry Center hosted a workshop for natural resource professionals in Spokane, Wash., that focused on agroforestry in the region.

NACD Blog: Bringing oaks back to the Bay
10/21/19

California’s Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is spearheading oak restoration efforts after its success in gaining volunteers and performing education outreach for its Acorns to Oaks program.

Common Dreams: The Key to Saving Family Farms Is in the Soil
By David R. Montgomery
10/10/19

Farmers adopting regenerative agricultural practices across the Midwest are restoring the health of the soil and of their rural economies. A four-year study of the economic impacts of cover crops conducted by the National Association of Conservation Districts and Datu Research on a farm in northwestern Missouri showed that cover crops averaged a positive return of $16 per acre among all fields, and reached up to $100 an acre in some places.

Omaha World-Herald: Let this soak in: roots in soil between crops can reduce flood impact, UNL researcher says
By Roseann Moring
10/19/19

Keep living roots in the soil to get more precipitation absorbed. That was a key takeaway from a University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher’s deep dive into water retention practices.

Successful Farming: Turning Marginal Cropland into Productive Grass
By Mitch Kezar
10/23/19

Bringing back grasslands from marginal cropland all comes down to healthy soil.

York News-Times: Healthy soils, healthy harvest: Cover crops make all the difference
By Chrystal Houston
10/22/19

On a windy autumn day, Dan Leininger, a water conservationist with the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District, stands in a field of ripe soybeans on the northeast side of York. The key to developing this healthy soil full of earthworms and other beneficial organisms is no-till farming practices and cover crops, says Leininger.

The Spokesman-Review: Inland Northwest’s thriving turkey population is an invasive nuisance or a conservation success – or both
By Eli Francovich
10/20/19

How did a species that didn’t exist in the Inland Northwest less than a lifetime ago, and that was on the verge of extinction throughout the continent, become so ubiquitous? The answer starts thousands of years ago. In Mexico.

The Atlantic: The Forest Service Is About to Set a Giant Forest Fire—On Purpose
By Maddie Stone
10/23/19

A man-made blaze on a remote Utah mountainside could provide valuable insights into the behavior of the powerful wildfires growing more and more common out West.

Deseret News: Crisis in the West: Americans will soon have a $5 billion wild horse problem and few know about it
By Amy Joi O’Donoghue
10/23/19

Nearly 90,000 wild horses and burros roam in 10 Western states where government range watchers say there should be just under 27,000, and the horses are multiplying quickly.

KCUR: Missouri Farmers Try To Reduce Runoff, But Cleaning Gulf Dead Zone May Take Decades
By Eli Chen
10/19/19

Missouri has not set targets for the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus. The state’s approach to curtailing farm runoff, which environmentalists say lacks strength, is to use sales tax revenue to provide farmers financial incentives to improve crop and livestock practices.

Phys.org: Antiquated dams hold key to water quality
10/23/19

All over the eastern part of the United States, thousands of small dams block the flow of water in streams and rivers, harkening back to colonial times. Now, many of these inactive dams are being removed by government and private agencies—driven by a need or hope of increasing public safety, reducing liability and improving aquatic habitats.

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