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: RCPP grant helps Oregon SWCD restore oak habitat
07/20/20

The Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Oregon is partnering with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to protect ancestral lands and implement forest management practices with a $1.7 million grant awarded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

Farm Progress: NACD awards $6.5 million in grants
07/22/20

The National Association of Conservation Districts awarded $6.5 million in new technical assistance grants to nearly 400 conservation districts in 36 states and territories.

VT Digger: New trees require extra care in drought
07/20/20

“How much should we be watering our trees?” That was the question from Bob Fireovid and Joan Falcao of Health Hero Farm, who received 115 trees from the Franklin County Conservation District this spring to plant a windbreak for their farmstead.

The Daily News: State marks what conservation districts do for communities
07/21/20

[Last] Friday was the 83rd anniversary of Public Act 297 of 1937, Michigan’s first Soil Conservation District law, enacted to provide a local response to the soil erosion catastrophe of the 1930s Dust Bowl, coupled with extreme drought nationwide.

Inverse: Seven Years Strong, Latino Conservation Week Spotlights Overlooked Nature Stewards
By Nina Pullano
07/21/20

Latino Conservation Week (LCW) aims to increase the representation of Latino people doing conservation work. “It lets people know that we’re out here,” [Refugio] Mariscal says. “Our viewpoints and our experiences are different than other people’s — our voices matter, they’re important when considering policies.”

Medium: Prescribed Burning Protects Texans and Benefits Wildlife
By Matt Wilkins, Blake Alldredge, Dr. Dirac Twidwell and Dr. William E. Rogers
07/20/20

Prescribed fires prevent the buildup of dangerous fuel loads and the encroachment of different woody species on grasslands. Prescribed fires are also critical for maintaining habitat for quail, wild turkey, and other grassland birds. However, many citizens lack the resources and the “know-how” to execute a prescribed fire.

U.S. AgNet: Annual Cover Crops as Additional Forage Sources
07/20/20

As a result of a challenging fall harvest and a considerable precipitation deficit across much of North Dakota, ranchers are considering options to increase their forage supply.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Grass buffers have proven their worth in Minnesota farm country
By Dennis Anderson
07/20/20

Passed by the Legislature at the urging of then-Gov. Mark Dayton, the state’s buffer law was intended to reduce farmland runoff, thereby helping to clean up rivers and other waters. The buffers also would produce much-needed wildlife habitat in a part of Minnesota that has lost hundreds of thousands of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) set-aside acres.

AgriLife Today: Texas, USDA Forest Service join forces to conserve and protect natural resources, lives and property
By Linda Moon
07/17/20

The State of Texas and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service signed a historic agreement to formalize the framework for collaborative responses to wildfires, natural resource concerns and ecological challenges in Texas.

USDA: Treated Wastewater May Be the Irrigation Wave of the Future
By Scott Elliott
07/21/20

With the need to feed a growing population, scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are looking for ways to safely expand agriculture’s supply of usable water. USDA will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the shared goal of increasing U.S. agricultural production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050.

Civil Eats: Maine Farmers Struggle with New, Harsher Climate Reality
By Kate Olson
07/22/20

The Northeast is warming faster than any other region in the contiguous U.S., which means longer, drier summers punctuated by more intense bouts of precipitation.

Civil Eats: Could a Detroit Experiment Unleash the Power of Urban Soil?
By Brian Allnutt
07/16/20

A multi-year study underway aims to build healthy urban soil quickly at minimum cost, yielding local, fresh food and climate mitigation as a bonus.

Phys.org: Timing key in understanding plant microbiomes
07/16/20

Oregon State University researchers have made a key advance in understanding how timing impacts the way microorganisms colonize plants, a step that could provide farmers an important tool to boost agricultural production.

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