Conservation Clips are a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance with accessing articles, please contact NACD Communications Manager Sara Kangas.

Agri-Pulse: Senate Ag leaders reach deal on farm bill
By Philip Brasher and Spencer Chase
06/07/18

Leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee have reached agreement on a bipartisan farm bill that would keep the 2014 farm law largely intact while avoiding a partisan fight over food stamps. The bill would leave the Price Loss Coverage program alone and make relatively minor improvements to the Agriculture Risk Coverage program.

AP News: House backs $3 billion bill to boost ports, dams, harbors
By Matthew Daly
06/07/18

The Water Resources Development Act would authorize a host of projects nationwide, including nearly $1 billion for a massive project to stem coastal erosion in Galveston, Texas, and restore wetlands and marshes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The bill also would direct the Army Corps of Engineers to study two dozen projects to reduce flood risks, improve navigation and protect against aquatic invasive species.

Corn and Soybean Digest: Try togetherness: Study promotes cooperative weed management to curb herbicide resistance
By Lauren Quinn
06/07/18

The tool is cooperative weed management – in other words, making decisions about how to manage herbicide-resistant weeds in cooperation with neighboring farms. The more farms working together, and the larger area covered, the better.

Phys.Org: NASA soil moisture data advances global crop forecasts
06/01/18

Data from the first NASA satellite mission dedicated to measuring the water content of soils is now being used operationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor global croplands and make commodity forecasts.

Southwest FarmPress: A sand-fighting annoyance turns Texas grower to no-till system
By Shelley E. Huguley
06/04/18

While grower Kelly Kettner would tell you that an annoyance with sand fighting was the catalyst for a change in his tillage practices, soil health and water conservation is what fuels his passion today.

Scientific American: A Wyoming Reservation Shows the New Face of Drought
By John Fialka
06/06/18

In agricultural areas, the creeping effect can subtly change the rhythms of life over a period of years. This compounds the struggle to detect and adapt to droughts. Measured in terms of damage, U.S. droughts rank second behind hurricanes. They cost $236 billion from 1980 to 2017.

Ag Pro: Soil Moisture Sensors An Open Secret Of Profitability
By Chris Bennett
06/06/18

Which technology is left on the table by many farmers, yet consistently saves dollars on fuel, labor, wear-and-tear, pickup mileage, time and thousands of gallons of water? The open secret of soil moisture sensors.

Agri-Pulse: McConnell plans June debate on Senate farm bill
By Philip Brasher
06/06/18

Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., is tentatively planning for his committee to act on the bill June 13. McConnell said Tuesday that the Senate will debate the bill on the floor before the week-long July 4 recess.

Scientific American: Solar Farms Produce Power—and Food
By Frank Jossi
06/06/18

Universities are testing the concept of “dual use farming,” as some advocates call it, where crops grow below canopies of solar panels. They are finding they grow just fine—and, in some cases, better than crops in full sun.

ABC News: California's biggest-ever wildfire declared extinguished
06/01/18

Officials declared the largest wildfire in recorded California history officially extinguished Friday, nearly six months after it ignited and later burned hillsides that washed away in deadly mudslides northwest of Los Angeles.

National Geographic: River Revives After Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History
By Brian Clark Howard
06/02/16

In August 2014, workers completed the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, as the final part of the 210-foot-high (64-meter-high) Glines Canyon Dam was dismantled on the Elwha River in northwestern Washington State. The goal was to remove unneeded, outdated dams and restore a natural river system, with presumed benefits for fish and other wildlife.

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