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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.


Adams on Agriculture: Adams on Agriculture-February 15, 2021
02/15/21

Monday on Adams on Agriculture USB director Lynn Rohrscheib discusses USB’s partnership on climate smart agriculture, Rabo AgriFinance grain and oilseed analyst Steve Nicholson looks ahead to this week USDA outlook conference and NACD President Michael Crowder outlines his goals for the coming year.

Washington State Conservation Commission: Washington State conservationist elected president of national organization
02/11/21

On February 10, 2021, Michael Crowder of south central Washington was sworn in as president of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), a nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts.

Washington Times Herald: SWCDs celebrate success in 3-year Invasive Species Project
02/10/21

For several years area Soil & Water Conservation Districts or SWCDs have worked to address the threat of invasive species such as honeysuckle, autumn olive, or newer invaders like Japanese stiltgrass. These are the successes of the 2018-2020 Invasive Species Project, and the SWCD’s plans to continue this work in 2021.

Park Rapids Enterprise: Hubbard County Soil & Water Conservation District overseeing three watershed plans
By Shannon M. Geisen
02/18/21

In recent years, the Hubbard County Board and Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) have collaborated with neighboring counties who share those watersheds to develop 10-year, comprehensive watershed management plans (WMP), formerly known as One Watershed One Plans.

Laconia Daily Sun: Belknap County Conservation District marks 75 years
02/16/21

On Feb. 14, 1946, the Belknap County Conservation District was established with strong farmer support from every town in the county.  The idea was a simple one, a locally-led effort to promote soil and water conservation. 

Craig Daily Press: Moffat County chapter of Colorado First Conservation District planning educational agriculture opportunity
By Joshua Carney
02/14/21

The Colorado First Conservation District in Moffat County plans on pursuing a Urban Agriculture Grant through the National Association of Conservation Districts in the coming weeks. According to Moffat County’s Kacey Green, the district could request up to $50,000 through the Urban Agriculture Grant.

Coastal Point: County council considers increasing funds for conservation district
By Susan Canfora
02/18/21

The Sussex County Council this week agreed to consider increasing funding for the Sussex Conservation District as they discuss the 2022-fiscal-year budget, following a presentation by David Baird, district coordinator.

Civil Eats: Can Bridging the Gap Between Landowners and Farming Tenants Help Improve Soil Health?
By Virginia Gewin
02/18/21

Forty percent of U.S. farmland is owned by non-operating landowners. When they support their renters’ use of conservation practices, it can make an important difference.

Harvest Public Media: Midwest Can Tackle Farm Nitrogen Pollution Without Sacrificing Crops, Study Shows
By Dana Cronin
02/17/21

Many researchers have looked at nitrogen pollution hotspots around the country. But a new first-of-its-kind, multi-year study from the University of Vermont looks at areas where nitrogen pollution reduction is most feasible without affecting crop yield.

Phys.org: Climate change and fire suppression
By Harrison Tasoff
02/17/21

The unprecedented and deadly blazes that engulfed the American West in 2020 attest to the increasing number, size and severity of wildfires in the region. And while scientists predict the climate crisis will exacerbate this situation, there's still much discussion around its contributing factors.

Casper Star Tribune: After record wildfire season, lawmakers increase focus on Wyoming's forest health
By Nick Reynolds
02/11/21

After the worst fire season in the nation’s history, state leaders are looking to take a more aggressive track to reduce fire risks in state and national forestlands across Wyoming, with solutions ranging from aggressive invasive species management policies to identifying potential ways to increase logging activity on federal lands.

Farmers.gov: Be on the Lookout: New Form Required for Some NRCS Customers
By Kathryn Fidler
02/17/21

If you are a producer or landowner who participates in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) may be reaching out by mail with information about a form you’ll need to fill out.

AgriLife: Pasture-cropping practice could improve degraded Texas grassland soils
02/16/21

Now the potential for implementation of the practice in the Southern Great Plains is being investigated by a Texas A&M AgriLife-led team of researchers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, NIFA, grant-funded project “Enhancing Soil Ecosystem Health and Resilience Through Pasture Cropping.”

New Food Magazine: Soil erosion worse than first thought in Corn Belt
By Josh Minchin
02/16/21

More than one-third of the Corn Belt in the US’ Midwest – nearly 100 million acres – has completely lost its carbon-rich topsoil, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research that indicates the US Department of Agriculture has significantly underestimated the true magnitude of farmland erosion.



National Association of State Foresters: LATEST REPORT ON PRESCRIBED BURNING SHOWS AN ENCOURAGING, UPWARD TREND IN ITS UTILIZATION NATIONWIDE
By Whitney Forman-Cook
02/08/21

https://www.stateforesters.org/2021/02/08/latest-report-on-prescribed-burning-shows-an-encouraging-upward-trend-in-its-utilization-nationwide/

Cadillac News: Protecting Michigan’s forests: A collaborative battle against invasive species
By Zach Peklo
02/16/21

North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area is working closely with the US Forest Service to control invasive species and restore the forests of Northern Michigan.

My Ches Co: PA Agriculture Secretary: Proposed Third Round of PA Farm Bill Funding Will Further Strengthen Resiliency of Agriculture
02/14/21

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding is commending Governor Tom Wolf for proposing to fund the Pennsylvania Farm Bill to continue strengthening the resiliency of the industry so many rely on for life’s essential needs.

E&E News: New tool analyzes wildfire risk for cities, counties, states
By Kylie Mohr
02/11/21

(Subscriber Only) A new nationwide tool allows users to examine how vulnerable their communities are to wildfires.

IoT Business News: Smart Farm Technologies: Shaping Security on Farms
By Matthew Margetts
02/15/21

Data-led farming is improving security and preventing losses – with other benefits around safe, sustainable agriculture.

AgWeb: Senate to Vote on Vilsack's Secretary of Agriculture Confirmation Next Week
By Tyne Morgan
02/16/21

After weeks of waiting, the Senate has scheduled a vote on Tom Vilsack’s nomination for Secretary of Agriculture on Feb. 23, 2021. 

NPR: Forest Thinning To Reduce Wildfire Risk Gives Opportunity To New Startups
02/16/21

The country's overgrown forests need to be aggressively thinned to reduce wildfire risk. That creates massive piles of worthless brush and branches, but some businesses see a new market for them.

Modern Farmer: How California Crops Fought Off a Pest Without Using Pesticide
By Dan Nosowitz
02/08/21

New research from the University of California Riverside looked at the nematode situation over time in California’s Brassica fields. The primary strangeness they were investigating is that the pesticide used to combat the nematodes, called 1,3-D, declined in use over time, and it completely ceased in 2014. Yet yields in crops such as broccoli kept increasing. 

Lancaster Farming: Changing Cropping Systems Could Restore Chesapeake Bay
02/18/21

Growing the right crop in the right place in an impaired watershed can achieve significant water-quality improvements, according to Penn State researchers who studied the drainage of a Susquehanna River tributary in an agricultural area in southeastern Pennsylvania.

University of Tennesee: Institute of Agriculture Researchers Work to Improve Eastern Grasslands
02/16/21

Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been awarded nearly $500,000 from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to improve the productivity, resiliency, and overall health of Eastern grasslands.

Count on News2: Local farmers say wild hogs can cause millions in damages every year
By Raymond Owens
02/16/21

Wild, or “feral” hogs, have been an issue for South Carolina farmers – the animals can eat or destroy thousands of dollars in crops literally overnight. Legislators are working on a bill that is designed to help deal with the growing problem.

 


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