Dear Conservation Leaders,

On behalf of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and our sister organization, the National Conservation Foundation (NCF), I am excited to announce the release of the 2020 NACD Annual Report and 2020 NCF Annual Report! You can access them both online by clicking their respective covers below.

Despite it being an unprecedented year for all of us, conservation districts, state/territory associations and conservation officials across the U.S. continued to deliver natural resource and conservation management for working lands everywhere. None of us imagined the kind of year 2020 would bring us all, and yet, we managed to accomplish a great deal in every Zoom meeting and conference call we participated in. Despite numerous cancellations, event postponements and office closures, we tackled this challenging year head-on, and these reports shows the extent of that work, as we continued to address the natural resource needs of communities across the country.

The 2020 NACD Annual Report summarizes the range of organizational accomplishments through fiscal year 2020, from NACD’s successful Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, which we were lucky to have held before the onset of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to our Summer Board Meeting that led to the development of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. NACD continued our work in carrying out our mission of providing leadership and resources for conservation districts and state/territory associations everywhere. From our Technical Assistance Grant program (NACD Report, page 25) to our ever-growing Soil Health Champions Network (NACD Report, page 28), Urban Agriculture Conservation work (NACD Report, page 33) and our inaugural Friends of NACD District Grant Program (NACD Report, page 31), we moved our work forward despite the pandemic raging on across our country's communities. We even created a COVID-19 resource webpage to help support districts support their community members.  

The NCF has also worked hard to adapt its programs to continue supporting the delivery of locally-led conservation and the creation of future conservation leaders in a virtual world. From virtual NCF-Envirothon competitions (NCF Report, page 15) to virtual webinars for the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) (NCF Report, page 25), NCF has found ways to continue its mission and strengthen its brand identity in spite of the pandemic.

However, all our work would not be possible without the work of every single conservation district's and state's/territory's incredible staff members and volunteers. In this past year's NACD annual report, you'll find highlights of the work that districts are doing in every region, from coast to coast. For example, you'll learn about the work of an Ohio conservation district that helped distribute an ag-friendly book across libraries and elementary schools within the state (NACD Report, page 43), and you'll read about how conservation district leaders in Guam have teamed together to combat the Greater Banded Hornet (NACD Report, page 50). In NCF’s Report, you’ll read how different states adjusted their NCF-Envirothon programing to help students stay virtually engaged and connected (NCF Report, page 15).

As we begin to emerge from the challenges of this past year, we hope you'll find inspiration in the pages of these reports, and are reminded of the incredible outcomes that happen when local leadership and conservation come hand-in-hand. This past year made it absolutely clear: we cannot accomplish all that we do without you.

A print copy of the 2020 Annual Reports will be mailed to all conservation districts, state and territory associations, Friends of NACD, donors, sponsors and members of NACD's Board of Directors in the coming weeks. To download a copy of this edition while you're viewing the reports online, please click the cloud icon in the lower right-hand corner. Visit NACD's publications and NCF’s Website to learn more about the work we've accomplished in the past year, and please let us know if you have any questions or comments about the 2020 Annual Reports. 

Sincerely,

Jeremy Peters
NACD CEO and NCF Executive Director

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