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: Bridging the Gap with an NACD Technical Assistance Grant
By Katrina Vaitkus
08/07/20

In 2018, thanks to a 2018 NACD Technical Assistance (TA) Grant, the Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Indiana hired a program support technician to help with a variety of conservation planning and practices.

The Sault News: A message from the Conservation District
08/13/20

(Opinion) With an increase in outdoor activity conservation organizations like the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District try and take advantage of the increased opportunity to share the message and importance of conservation and how folks can better conserve our natural resources so we all can enjoy naturally beautiful environments for many years to come. How do we do that as safely as possible during a pandemic?

Oswego County News Now: Fight against invasive water chestnuts rages on
By Mike Leboeuf
08/13/20

The Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District and volunteers have worked hard to keep county waterways clear of the water chestnuts.

Echo Journal: Watershed plan obtains conservation funding
By Rachel Frazin
08/12/20

Cass and Crow Wing counties and the Crow Wing and Cass Soil and Water Conservation Districts all adopted a comprehensive local Pine River Watershed plan. On June 15, the local government units were awarded $482,000 to implement the conservation activities within the Pine River Watershed as outlined in the partnership’s comprehensive watershed management plan developed through the “One Watershed, One Plan” program.

Agr-Pulse: NRCS announces $360M for RCPP
By Noah Wicks
08/12/20

(Subscriber Only) USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced Monday that through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), it will award up to $360 million in grants to public-private partnerships that “improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability.”

WBOC: New Report Finds Some Progress Made in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts
08/13/20

A new Chesapeake Bay Foundation report examining the state of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint found promising signs of progress, but found that serious red flags remain that threaten to derail the restoration effort.

USDA: Honoring the History and Value of Grazing on the National Forests and Grasslands
By Casey Johnson
08/07/20

Domestic livestock have been grazing on western landscapes for centuries. The USDA Forest Service has worked alongside farmers and ranchers to manage those landscapes, which were rapidly degrading from overuse by the time the agency was formed in 1905.

CNN: Wildfires have destroyed more than 73,000 acres across three states and are spreading fast
By Christina Walker and Sarah Moon
08/13/20

Firefighters across three Western states are battling wildfires that have destroyed more than 73,000 acres.

Penn State News: Cover crop roots are an essential key to understanding ecosystem services
By Jeff Mulhollem
08/12/20

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

AgNet West: Soil Health Case Studies Provide Growers with Valuable Insight
08/11/20

A series of soil health case studies have been produced through a partnership between American Farmland Trust (AFT) and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Through a Conservation Innovation Grant, the collaborators have been able to provide detailed information about how various conservation practices can add value to farming systems.

Star Tribune: Mussel restoration project could lure wildlife back to barren stretch of Mississippi River in Minneapolis
08/11/20

Biologists believe conditions are finally right to bring back endangered river mussels — one of the foundations of aquatic life in the Mississippi — now that constant dredging to keep the upper river open for barge traffic has ended and the water is cleaner than it has been in a lifetime.

Fence Post: Ranchers combine cattle, conservation and logging to save birds
By Jennfer Oldham
08/07/20

[Rancher Dusty] Downey is among 82 ranchers from Texas to the Dakotas using protocols designed by the National Audubon Society to reinvigorate grassland ecosystems to increase populations of imperiled birds.

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