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: SWCD shares experiences using FEMA grant
01/21/20

The Claunch-Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in New Mexico is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) near wildfire-ravaged areas across the state through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

NACD Blog: Washington State district helps update community resource handbook
01/17/20

The Cascadia Conservation District (CD) in Wenatchee, Wash., partnered with the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and nearly a dozen other Washington State agencies to update the Chelan County Good Neighbor Handbook, a 36-page guide for property owners, newcomers and residents.

NPR: Exclusive: Seattle-Area Voters To Vote By Smartphone In 1st For U.S. Elections
By Miles Parks
01/22/20

[King Conservation District], a district encompassing Greater Seattle is set to become the first in which every voter can cast a ballot using a smartphone—a historic moment for American democracy.

Agri-Pulse: EPA replaces WOTUS with new Navigable Waters Protection Rule
By Steve Davies
01/23/20

(Subscriber Only) The Trump administration has released a replacement for the former “waters of the U.S.” rule that significantly reduces federal jurisdiction over streams and wetlands, triggering what almost certainly will be a series of protracted legal battles over the scope of the Clean Water Act.

The Daily Yonder: Investments in Climate Action Could Boost Rural Economies, Research Finds
By Jan Pytalski
01/17/20

Newly released research by the progressive think tank Center for American Progress found that as much as $8 billion could find its way into the rural economy as a result of conservation programs designed to counteract climate change.

Science Daily: New model shows how crop rotation helps combat plant pests
01/16/20

A new computational model shows how different patterns of crop rotation—planting different crops at different times in the same field—can impact long-term yield when the crops are threatened by plant pathogens.

Grist: The Contaminant We Can’t Live Without
By Joe Wertz
01/22/20

In America’s Corn Belt and around the world, some of the fertilizer applied to fields escapes the soil in new forms that contaminate and warm the planet.

Phys.org: Is mowing or close grazing of rangelands as beneficial as prescribed burning?
By Dennis O'brien
01/23/20

Phys.org: Study finds flooding damage to levees is cumulative—and often invisible
By Matt Shipman
01/21/20

Recent research finds that repeated flooding events have a cumulative effect on the structural integrity of earthen levees, suggesting that the increase in extreme weather events associated with climate change could pose significant challenges for the nation's aging levee system.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, heavy spring rains across the nation in 2019 caused nearly 20 million acres of farmland to go unplanted.

E&E News: Conservation program marks 30 years, over $6B in grants
By Tamara Ward
01/21/20

(Subscriber Only) The conservation grant program that has helped preserve and restore nearly 30 million acres of wetlands across the continent has turned 30. President George H.W. Bush signed the North American Wetlands Conservation Act into law in December 1989, establishing the grant program as waterfowl populations declined because of habitat loss.

Civil Eats: Can Cover Crops Save Florida’s Citrus?
By Nano Riley
01/22/20

Citrus greening has devastated the Sunshine State’s orange industry. Researchers and pioneering farmers see cover crops as a road to recovery.

Need to update your contact information, unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences? Click here to manage your profile.