Conservation Clips are a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. If you have a relevant submission, please contact your NACD Communications Team.

NACD Blog: Urban tree program helps improve Washington communities
03/13/18

A grant from the Puyallup Watershed Initiative is allowing Washington’s Pierce Conservation District (PCD) to strengthen its jurisdictional partnerships and add canopy coverage in some of Pierce County’s most urban areas.

NACD Blog: Local Massachusetts district’s fruit tree sale supports pollinators
03/13/18

Worcester County Conservation District (WCCD) sells a variety of fruit-bearing trees and other flowering plants to educate the public on the importance of having fruit-bearing trees in their landscaping.

Agri-Pulse: Bipartisan Senate bill refocuses conservation programs
By Philip Brasher
03/15/18

The bill would keep the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program as separate programs and maintain CSP’s annual enrollment targets and EQIP’s funding.

Des Moines Register: Crop insurance rules for cover crops prevent good farming
By Don Elsbernd
03/08/18

(Opinion) To comply with crop insurance rules written by the Risk Management Agency (RMA), I have to terminate my cover crops no later than five days after planting my main crop in the spring. But the problem with terminating the cover crop on time is that I reduce the amount of benefit that I get from it, or I delay planting of the main crop, which can cause lower yields. Our goal is to get the maximum benefit without hurting the crop, and that should be RMA’s goal, too.

The Fence Post: Walz introduces soil stewardship bill
By Jerry Hagstrom
03/13/18

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., on Tuesday introduced a bill to enhance the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Agri-Pulse: Opinion: The next Farm Bill can have lasting influence, major impacts through soil health
By Wayne Honeycutt
03/13/18

(Opinion) We are fortunate that past farm bill support for research and adoption has provided the scientific basis and confidence for implementing soil health-promoting practices. However, it is equally clear that we simply cannot afford to be complacent, thinking that we have all the answers, because we do not.

KCRG: Planting a billion milkweeds for monarchs
By David Geiger
03/14/18

By 2038, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) want to have 480,000 to 830,000 acres of monarch butterfly habitat across the state or about 127 to 188 million new milkweed stems, which is the only plant monarch butterflies lay their eggs on. The goal is to plant about double the amount of milkweed that is estimated to exist in Iowa.

Fox News: Crew with seeds, corals restore environment in Puerto Rico
By Danica Coto
03/09/18

Environmental groups and volunteers are gathering native seeds to replant forests across the U.S. territory and grafting broken coral back onto shattered reefs to help repair damage in the largest-ever effort of its kind for Puerto Rico.

Corn and Soybean Digest: Note to USDA: The time for regenerative agriculture is now
By Ron Nichols
03/12/18

(Opinion) Healthy soil is the foundation of our nation, the production engine of American agriculture. With so many economic and environmental benefits at stake, now is the time for bold USDA leadership and courageous advocacy for soil health and regenerative agriculture.

My San Antonio: USDA designates 61 Arkansas counties as disaster areas
03/14/18

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 61 drought-stricken Arkansas counties as disaster areas, making farmers and ranchers in the counties eligible for natural disaster assistance.

Miami Herald: $1.4 billion Everglades reservoir clears key hurdle. Is it enough to save the Glades?
By Jenny Staletovich
03/08/18

South Florida water managers signed off on a $1.4 billion reservoir, approving one of the costliest projects yet in the decades-long effort to stop coastal pollution and send clean water to the Everglades’ ailing marshes.

No-Till Farmer: Soil Health's Role in Mitigating Natural Disaster Effects
By Mark McNeely
03/09/18

FEMA and the NRCS believe that while we cannot prevent natural disasters, we do have the power to prepare for and potentially reduce their impacts through advanced planning. But beyond farmers, it will take everyone’s participation to make a difference. Soil health management principles can apply in nearly all human-managed landscapes when properly adapted.

The Tribune-Review: Less mowing helps bees, study says
03/13/18

The study found that yards mowed every two weeks supported the highest number of bees by allowing those plants to bloom. “Given the pervasiveness of lawns coupled with habitat loss, our findings provide immediate solutions for individual households to contribute to urban conservation.”

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