We are only a few short weeks away from NACD's Stewardship Week! This year, as we celebrate the 69th Annual Stewardship Week from April 28 to May 5, the theme “May the Forest Be with You, Always” takes center stage. This theme underscores the critical interplay between soil and water conservation and the resilience of our forests.

Throughout Stewardship Week, conservation districts across the United States are invited to participate in various ways to celebrate and promote these vital natural resources. Conservation districts play a central role in outreach and education, engaging with their communities through the NACD annual poster and photo contests, by hosting field days or educating students in their classrooms, and more.

If you would like to get involved with NACD Stewardship Week, you can find an array of free educational materials here to share with students and educators around you or participate virtually through social media with our toolkit of forestry posts and captions. We also have proclamation, press release, and radio PSA templates available here. Or, shop our marketplace to find wearables and printed materials for sale, including limited edition t-shirts and posters!

Printed materials must be ordered by THIS FRIDAY, April 19, in order to arrive in time for Stewardship Week!

The phrase “May the Forest Be with You, Always” signifies our commitment to responsible forest stewardship, emphasizing their enduring strength and adaptability. We are asking you to celebrate Stewardship Week alongside us - online or in your local community - to show your dedication to forestry conservation and education.

NASCA BOARD MEETS WITH BUNCOMBE SWCD AT SPRING MEETING IN NORTH CAROLINA

The National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) held its annual Spring Board Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina last week. Board members met with Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District staff and toured a conservation easement site and Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) project. These projects serve as examples of the importance of collaboration between local districts and their state agencies.

Learn more NASCA's efforts on their website.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson recently announced plans to introduce a bipartisan farm bill next month and shared a policy framework with House Democrats in an effort to finalize a bill. The framework commits to integrating all remaining Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding into the conservation title and notes additional Democratic priorities that the Chairman is willing to accept or negotiate. Disagreements regarding changes to the nutrition title, among other provisions, have the potential to stall negotiations or facilitate the introduction of a partisan farm bill. 

Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published final rules revising regulations in Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). According to USFWS, the purpose of these rules is to, among other things, clarify appropriate use of certain permits, including USFWS’s authority to issue permits for non-listed species, simplify the requirements for other permits, and to incorporate portions of USFWS’s five-point policies into the regulations to reduce uncertainty. NACD is continuing to engage and work to support our members. 

USDA will host two webinars to provide additional information on the $1.5 billion available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) on April 23 and May 30. Project proposals can be submitted through July 2 via the RCPP portal. Details on the RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) funding opportunities are available on Grants.gov.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 17, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will be hosting a hearing on the FY25 fiscal requests for the Department of the Interior. This hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET and can be watched live here.

JAMES RIVER SCD ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY CONSERVATION EXPLORATION AND EDUCATION

In 2023, the James River Soil Conservation District (SCD) in Dickey County, North Dakota hosted a series of educational programs for youth and adults with help from the Friends of NACD District Grants Program. Through their efforts, the James River SCD was able to increase awareness of natural resource conservation, showcase native flora and fauna to local urban communities, and introduce the community to their recently acquired natural resource and agricultural education property. 

Equipped with district-provided “Explorer Packs,” including bird identification books, magnifying glasses, compasses, butterfly nets, binoculars, notebooks, and writing materials, community members of all ages were able to maximize summertime, self-led education while visiting the district’s property. A 3-day educational workshop series was also hosted by the district for children to discover the varying butterflies, bees, trees, native plants and grasses, and other wildlife across the property. Several classes from local schools held themed field trips to the farm, putting the “Explore Packs” to great use. These learning kits will continue to be utilized for further educational purposes with all age groups. 

Through other education and workshop events provided, over 100 individuals learned about rain collection barrel design, resource conservation principles, as well as native plant, bird, and insect identification. Read more about the project on NACD's blog.

Thinking about applying for a Friends of NACD Grant? James River CD says, “Just try it! All districts have the same goal – to serve their communities’ needs and foster stewardship of natural resources. Don’t ever feel like your project or county is too small or insignificant to make a difference!”

The Friends of NACD District Grants Program is funded by Friends of NACD, individuals who support the nation’s conservation districts through cash donations to NACD. Grants made possible through these donations help conservation districts conduct new activities or test novel approaches to their operations. Stay tuned for the 2025 Friends of NACD District Grants Program opportunity, to be released this fall. Learn more about current and past projects on the Friends of NACD website. Become a Friend of NACD today to help provide more grant opportunities like this to districts across the country!