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 NACD Communications Manager Sara Kangas.

Agri-Pulse: Christiansen sworn in to bring ‘new vision’ to Forest Service
By Spencer Chase
10/11/18

Vicki Christiansen was sworn in as the 19th Chief of the United States Forest Service Thursday. For her part, Christiansen, who joined the Forest Service in 2010 and has been serving as interim chief since March, rolled out plans to operate the agency in a way consistent with its mandate to preserve the nation’s forests.

AP News: US states agree on plan to manage overtaxed Colorado River
By Dan Elliott
10/09/18

Seven Southwestern U.S. states that depend on the overtaxed Colorado River have reached landmark agreements on how to manage the waterway amid an unprecedented drought, including a commitment by California to bear part of the burden before it is legally required to do so. The agreements are tentative and must be approved by multiple states and agencies as well as the U.S. government.

ABC News: Congress approves massive water-projects bill
By Matthew Daly
10/10/18

Congress has approved a sprawling bill to improve the nation's ports, dams and harbors, protect against floods, restore shorelines and support other water-related projects. America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 would authorize more than $6 billion in spending over 10 years for projects nationwide, including one to stem coastal erosion in Galveston, Texas, and restore wetlands damaged by Hurricane Harvey last year.

Capital Press: Western Innovator: Researcher establishes grazing as fire tool
By Brad Carlson
10/04/18

Rangeland scientists in southeastern Oregon for years produced studies showing earlier grazing reduces future fire risk while benefiting native plants. Now they are working to figure out how to apply these lessons on the larger scale that the vast sagebrush steppe landscape often demands.

CNN: Federal officials will round up 1,000 wild horses in California. Some may end up in slaughterhouses
By Christina Maxouris and Brandon Griggs
10/08/18

"Our territory is supposed to have 206 to 402 animals, we have almost 4,000 horses," Modoc National Forest Supervisor Amanda McAdams said. The plateau is 258,000 acres, but McAdams said there's not nearly enough vegetation and water to support all the horses. The horses have been feeding on limited foliage and drinking up most of the water supply, leaving little behind for other wild animals.

The Current: Finding Middle Ground on the Range
By Jenny Seifert
10/01/18

Cattle ranching and conservation may seem an unusual pair in the American West, but new research reveals a clear link between the economic health of ranches and the ability to maintain habitat for an iconic wild bird that for years has been at the center of public land policy debate: the greater sage grouse.

Agri-Pulse: States' roles in species conservation explored
By Steve Davies
10/10/18

States need to play a larger role in protecting and recovering endangered species, the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee said at a hearing Wednesday that looked at federal, state and local efforts to collaborate on wildlife conservation.

Ag Web: Waterhemp Discovered With Resistance To 6 Herbicides
By Sonja Begemann
10/10/18

It’s a thing of nightmares—a towering, aggressive weed that defies modern management by evading death by herbicide. Just south of Moberly, Mo., researchers confirmed waterhemp with resistance to six herbicide modes of action.

MinnPost: State grant program offers money, and legitimacy, for urban agriculture
By Taryn Phaneuf
10/09/18

State funding, even a small amount, can usher in a shift toward seeing urban areas as potential farms and their residents as fellow food producers. That shift can also bring education and economic opportunities that are often more associated with rural areas.

AgPro: Paid-In-Full Cover Crop Program Available
By Sonja Begemann
10/09/18

Stine Seed and Peoples Company are partnering to offer landowners a paid-in-full, managed cover crop program. Their goal is to show landowners it’s possible to both protect the environmentally sensitive areas, maximize yield on productive acres, and improve return on investment.

Wallaces Farmer: Cover crops popular among seed corn farmers
By Shannon Moeller
10/04/18

Cover crop use among Iowa’s seed corn growers has escalated in the past few years. This is largely due to a Water Quality Initiative grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The grant provides education and cost-share funds to seed corn growers through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative.

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