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.

Ag Funder News: Cargill, Soil Health Institute team up to find out if there’s a business case for soil health systems
By Lauren Stine
08/21/20

To address this critical issue, SHI is partnering with Cargill and the US National Association of Conservation Districts — with funding from Cargill and USDA-NRCS — to work out a comprehensive approach for evaluating the profitability of soil health management systems. 

The Miami County Republic: Miami County Conservation District receives national grant
08/24/20

The Miami County Conservation District recently was awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) to create an Urban Conservationist position.

Norfolk Daily News: Lower Elkhorn NRD receives grant for conservation planner in Pierce
08/25/20

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District was recently awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts.

US AgNet: Study Seeks to Increase Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices
08/25/20

As part of that U.S. Department of Agriculture project, assistant professor Tong Wang of the Ness School of Management and Economics led the first study assess what motivates Northern Great Plains producers to adopt farming practices aimed at improving soil health.

Farms.com: Grazing/Harvesting Rule Change an Opportunity for Farmers, Ranchers
08/25/20

Changes in federal grazing and harvesting rules on prevented-planting acres could help North Dakota livestock producers in select counties replenish forage supplies, or at least offset shortages in perennial forage production, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists.

AZ Central: ‘Driest I’ve seen’: Without summer rains, Arizona cattle ranchers confront tough choices
By Ian James
08/22/20

The summer has brought just a few sprinkles and unrelenting blue skies. The rangelands across eastern Arizona have been left parched.

Fence Post: USDA and Wyoming sign Shared Stewardship Agreement to improve forests and grasslands
08/26/20

The Shared Stewardship Agreement establishes a framework for federal and state agencies to promote active forest management, improve collaboration, and respond to ecological challenges and natural resource concerns in Wyoming.

Successful Farming: USDA Distributes $4.1 Million For Urban Ag And Innovations
By Megan Schilling
08/25/20

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the selection of recipients for about $4.1 million in grants and cooperative agreements through its new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. These are the first-ever recipients of these grants and cooperative agreements.

The Denver Post: Drought taking a toll on Colorado agriculture “in all corners of the state”
By Judith Kohler
08/21/20

Dry, hot weather produces one of Colorado’s smallest wheat crops in 10 years, hitting ranchers hard.

The Washington Post: Storing carbon in the prairie grass
By Mary Beth Gahan
08/19/20

(Subscriber Only) A pristine prairie can also be home to hundreds of types of plants. Poets and explorers wrote about the spectacular view above ground, but the real magic is what happens below the surface.

The New York Times: The Dreaded Lanternfly, Scourge of Agriculture, Spreads in New Jersey
By Sabrina Imbler
08/21/20

The insect poses a serious threat to American crops, particularly vineyards, and inspires creative backyard methods of eliminating them.

Phys.org: Bioengineered soil microbes may help prevent desertification
By Nala Rogers
08/26/20

By tweaking the genes of microbes in the soil, it may be possible to make arid ecosystems more resilient to climate change and overgrazing, according to a new study.

High Plains Journal: Farmers, ranchers and landowners are doing their part to improve water quality
08/20/20

Drive across Nebraska or fly overhead and you will see evidence of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s work on the state’s landscape.

Agri-Pulse: Soil health, water retention among cover crop benefits, hort producers say
By Steve Davies
08/26/20

(Subscriber Only) Agri-Pulse talked to Sayer of Petty Farms after the release of the latest cover crop survey for 2019, which took a closer look at adoption of cover crops by horticultural producers — vegetable, fruit and tree nut growers. It found more than half attributing an increase in profitability to their cover crops.

The Weekly Journal: FEMA Invests $2.6 Million to Strengthen Puerto Rico’s Agriculture Industry
08/26/20

Puerto Rico's agricultural industry is preparing to receive over $2.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience of Puerto Rico, or COR3. This investment will lead to the recovery of this sector, which suffered multi-million-dollar losses due to the impact of Hurricane María.

Phys.org: Forests scorched by wildfire unlikely to recover, may convert to grasslands
By Lisa Marshall
08/26/20

A new University of Colorado Boulder-led study offers an unprecedented glimpse, suggesting that when forests burn across the Southern Rocky Mountains, many will not grow back and will instead convert to grasslands and shrublands.

Need to update your contact information, unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences? Click here to manage your profile.