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.


Editor's Note: NACD will not publish an edition of Conservation Clips next Friday, Nov. 27. Happy Thanksgiving!


NACD Blog: NACD Government Affairs Update on the 2021 Appropriations Bill
By Eric Hansen
11/19/20

Even though Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) began on October 1, Congress has not yet passed a full year federal funding bill or appropriations bill. Currently, the federal government is operating under a short-term extension, or continuing resolution (CR), that is set to expire on December 11. Without additional action by Congress, the government will be forced to shut down.


RADIO IOWA: Iowan who heads national conservation group pens letter to Joe Biden
11/17/20

An Iowa farmer who’s president of the National Association of Conservation Districts is sending a letter to President-elect Joe Biden outlining the importance of conservation programs to all Americans.

West Central Tribune: Prepare your pollinator-friendly garden for winter
By Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservation District
11/06/20

As temperatures drop and winter is coming right around the corner, the thoughts of pruning, raking and weeding come to mind. However, pollinators would appreciate it if you did not prune, rake or weed. A garden that looks unkempt for the winter is a good garden for pollinators.

Huron Daily Tribune: Huron Conservation District gets grants for programs
By Robert Creenan
11/19/20

The first grant, worth $71,000, is for the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, which teaches effective land stewardship practices complying with state and federal regulations and shows farmers how to identify and prevent agricultural pollution risks on their farms.

Florida Today: A teacher and a test engineer aim to guard Brevard's soil and water
By Jim Waymer
11/06/20

When it comes to the final analysis, conservationists say Florida's long-term prosperity ultimately hinges on healthy, ample soil and water. But those vital resources fall under the state's oft-forgotten, legally toothless and virtually penniless soil and water conservation districts.

Agri-Pulse: Coalition of farm, conservation groups unites on climate proposals
By Philip Brasher
11/17/20

(Subscriber Only) Leading farm groups united with two major environmental groups to release on Tuesday more than 40 policy recommendations aimed at helping farmers benefit economically from reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while helping growers become more resilient amid climate change.

Texas A&M: Texas A&M AgriLife Researchers Make Breakthrough In Fighting Agricultural Plant Diseases
By Paul Schattenberg
11/17/20

Texas A&M AgriLife researchers have made a discovery that will help combat fastidious pathogens, which cost U.S. agriculture alone billions of dollars annually.

Daily News: USDA to open signup for the Conservation Reserve Program
By Kevin Green
11/16/20

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) [on Monday] announced the 2021 signup periods for general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Grasslands offers. General signup for CRP will be open from January 4, 2021 to February 12, 2021; signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and provide annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

Grand Forks Herald: Protecting a wild landscape in west-central Minnesota
By Tom Cherveny
11/15/20

Ongoing improvements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Weber Waterfowl Production Area north of Willmar tell a story of public lands management and of their importance.

Southeast AgNet: Determining How Effective NRCS Conservation Practices are at Protecting Wetlands
11/13/20

We now know that wetlands provide many benefits to us. To name a few, let’s start with floodwater storage and nutrient and sediment capture. Today, having realized that in draining so much land that we lost or compromised many of these benefits, we look to conservation planners to determine what needs to be done next, and when.

Agri-News: Precision Conservation Management program receives funding renewal
11/13/20

Under the RCPP, PCM has now secured over $10 million in federal funding to support local Illinois farmers as they work to implement conservation practices on their farms. The RCPP funding renewal awarded to PCM will be available to support farmers through 2026.

Agri-Pulse: Fate of climate payment plans in hands of researchers
By Steve Davies
11/16/20

(Subscriber Only) A dizzying array of ongoing research projects, with sponsors ranging from the Energy Department to multinational food industry giants, will go a long way toward determining whether carbon credit markets can become a reliable, meaningful source of income for farmers.

AgriLife Today: Field testing new integrated weed management strategies
11/13/20

Chesapeake Bay states will now have specific targets for reducing pollution expected to result from climate change, officials announced during a meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Commission [last Friday].



E&E News: Lawmakers, advocates blast Bernhardt's LWCF order
By Emma Dumain and Jennifer Yachnin
11/16/20

(Subscriber Only) Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, will press Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to revise portions of a new order that places restrictions on LWCF funds, including granting veto power to state and local governments over new federal land purchases.

Zocalo: Understanding The History Of Fire Can Help Us Fight Today’s Biggest Blazes
By Andrew C. Scott
11/12/20

Understanding the history of wildfire is relatively new. That’s because fire science often falls between the cracks in established disciplines. As the well-known historian of modern fire Stephen Pyne has pointed out, while many universities have fire departments, they are never academic ones.

The Western Producer: Cargill adopts regenerative agriculture
By Robert Arnason
11/12/20

By supporting a transition towards regenerative ag, Cargill hopes it can achieve its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain. The company has a reduction goal of 30 percent per ton of product by 2030.

Phys.org: Heavy rainfall drives one-third of nitrogen runoff, according to new study
11/16/20

Heavy rain events that occur only a few days a year can account for up to one-third of the annual nitrogen runoff from farmland in the Mississippi River basin, according to a new study by Iowa State University scientists.

NOAA: NFWF and NOAA announce more than $37 million in grants to support coastal resilience efforts across the nation
11/17/20

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA [announced Tuesday] more than $37 million in new grants from the National Coastal Resilience Fundoffsite link (NCRF) that will support coastal resilience projects in 25 states and U.S. territories. The 46 grants announced today will generate $55 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $92 million.

The Regulatory Review: Thinking Harder and Smarter About Wildland Fire
By Deborah Sivas
11/16/20

Widespread scientific consensus indicates that poor management over the last century has made remote forests more vulnerable to wildfire. Historic fire suppression and unsustainable logging practices have resulted in too much vegetative understory, too many even-aged stands, and too few resilient old-growth trees that protect forests from catastrophic wildfire.

Phys.org: U.S. agricultural water use declining for most crops and livestock production
11/17/20

A comprehensive University of Illinois study looked at water withdrawals in U.S. agriculture and food production from 1995 to 2010. The main trend was a decline in water use, driven by a combination of factors.

Lexington Herald Leader: Wild horses and burros are threatening western lands as population overwhelms landscape
By William Pendley
11/19/20

The population has more than doubled in just the past 10 years and continues to grow at a rate of 10 to 15 percent annually. This number includes the more than 47,000 animals the Bureau of Land Management has already gathered from public lands, which cost the American taxpayer nearly $50 million annually to care for in off-range corrals.

Potato Pro: Supported by potato industry stakeholders, Washington State University expands research on soil health
11/13/20

Launching new research in support of Washington potato growers, Washington State University is partnering with industry leaders to study healthier, more sustainable, and productive soils.


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