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: NCF #FutureFocused Q&A with NGLI’s Sam Steiner
10/14/20

Sam Steiner, a 2020 Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) Cohort Member, owns and operates Dogwood Farms in Franklin, Ohio. On her operation, she raises grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, pastured turkeys and free-range laying hens.

NACD Blog: Providing Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality
By Katrina Vaitkus
10/09/20

In Champaign County, Illinois, one of the major natural resource issues is water quality as it pertains to nitrogen and phosphorous runoff. The Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) focuses on promoting practices that influence nitrate loss, with the added benefit of improving overall soil health.

NACD Blog: NACD attends The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation’s NPN Meeting
By Ariel Rivers
10/08/20

As recently announced, NACD and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation (SMGF) have renewed their ongoing partnership to deliver urban webinars and information on backyard conservation.

My Radio Link: STAR Sustainability Initiative Grows while Shining a Light on Farmers’ Soil and Water Conservation Efforts
By Sonia Elks
10/14/20

STAR was formed in 2017 by the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District and has been recognized nationally by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).

Texarkana Gazette: Grants fund pollinator garden, quail range
10/15/20

The Miller County Conservation District, in partnership with the Natural Resource Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, has been awarded two grants for implementing natural habitat areas in Miller County.

CBC: Sac Soil And Water Conservation District Recognized For Tremendous Improvements To Black Hawk Lake Water Quality
By Nathan Konz
10/11/20

The Conservation Districts of Iowa and the State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee has recognized Black Hawk Lake with the Iowa’s Outstanding Watershed Award for the significant improvements made to the waterbody over the last decade.

USDA-NRCS: Rule Change Helps Producers Implement More Conservation Activities
10/08/20

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) [last Thursday] released the final rule for its Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The rule makes updates to the popular conservation program as directed by the 2018 Farm Bill and integrates feedback from agricultural producers and others.

Herald Review: Moving the needle toward soil and water conservation, reducing carbon footprint
By Stu Ellis
10/14/20

(Opinion) The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium is a national program [that will] stack and sell the carbon and water quality credits to meet corporate reporting requirements and improve agricultural resilience.

E&E News: Murkowski vows action this year on wildfire legislation
By Marc Heller
10/14/20

(Subscriber Only) Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski signaled [Tuesday] that she's working to pass wildfire legislation in the committee this year, drawing in part on legislation from Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.).

E&E News: Florida pursues control of federal wetland permitting
By Hannah Northey
10/13/20

(Subscriber Only) Florida — home to the Everglades and sprawling wetlands, marshes and bogs — wants to become the third state in history to take over the federal government's job of overseeing wetland and water permitting under the Clean Water Act.

The Conversation: Restoring California’s forests to reduce wildfire risks will take time, billions of dollars and a broad commitment
10/13/20

Many of California’s 33 million acres of forests face widespread threats stemming from past management choices. [On Tuesday,] the U.S. Forest Service estimates that of the 20 million acres it manages in California, 6-9 million acres need to be restored.

Washington Examiner: Trump signs order backing 1 Trillion Trees effort
By Abby Smith
10/13/20

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to make his pledge to help plant, restore, and conserve a trillion trees a reality.

Phys.org: Researchers look into the effects of repeated droughts on different kinds of forests
By Harrison Tasoff
10/13/20

UC Santa Barbara forest ecologist Anna Trugman—along with her colleagues at the University of Utah, Stanford University and the U.S. Forest Service—investigated the effects of repeated, extreme droughts on various types of forests across the globe.

Cargill: Grass, greenhouse gas and grazing: Why North America’s prairies are key to cutting emissions
10/14/20

Nurturing those grasslands, and helping ranchers preserve them, is one of the most potent steps we can take to fight climate change and support producer livelihoods.

BCTV: Cost-Share Bill Could Benefit PA Farmers, Water Quality
By Andrea Sears
10/14/20

A new bill in the General Assembly could help Pennsylvania farmers reduce the amount of polluted runoff in rivers and streams and help the state meet its clean water commitments.

Aspen Public Radio: In Grasslands Plagued By Invasives And Drought, Wildfires Fuel Calls For New Solutions
By Catherine Wheeler
10/15/20

[Brian] Mealor is the director of the University of Wyoming’s Research and Extension Center in Sheridan. He’s performing experiments on how to manage and kill invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass, ventenata and medusa head, with herbicides.

Phys.org: Cover crop could solve weed problems for edamame growers
By Lauren Quinn
10/13/20

A new study from the University of Illinois and USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) shows early-terminated rye could be a promising part of an integrated weed management program for some vegetable legumes, including edamame.

National Geographic: Farmers are facing a phosphorus crisis. The solution starts with soil.
By Julia Rosen
10/14/20

Overuse of fertilizer has led to phosphorus shortages and water pollution. But farms might not need so much to grow healthy crops.

Burlington Free Press: Vermont awards nearly $1 million to farms across state for water quality
By Dan D'Ambrosio
10/14/20

Fairmont Farm in East Montpelier and Craftsbury is one of 30 farms across Vermont to receive a share of nearly $1 million from a state program to improve water quality.

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