Starting this weekend, NACD will gather with hundreds of conservation professionals at the 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. Hosted in partnership with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, this year's meeting will explore the theme "Operation Conservation."

We are excited to spend the week sharing, learning, and celebrating conservation with district, state, and territory leaders from across the nation. Get ready for a jam-packed agenda, which includes a full NACD board meeting, breakout sessions from local and national conservation leaders, a distinguished lineup of keynote and panel speakers, NCF's Live auction, the chance to network with conservation and agriculture professionals at the National Conservation Showcase, and so much more!

If you are joining us - there are still a limited number of tickets available for the USS Midway event! Tickets include bus transportation, entry, and hors d'oeuvres. Event tickets will be available to purchase at the registration desk on Saturday.

NACD REQUESTS PROPOSALS FOR CLIMATE-SMART COMMODITIES PLANNING & CAPACITY GRANTS

NACD is excited to release the formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for Planning & Capacity grants under our Climate-Smart Commodities grant program! These grants will support early-stage development of a climate-smart commodities project and can be used for community needs assessment, partnership development, and building capacity to begin programming. 

The maximum Planning & Capacity Grant is $15,000 (10% match). NACD anticipates award of up to 50 Planning & Capacity Grants.

Planning & Capacity (P&C) grants are intended to support early-stage development of a climate-smart commodities project. P&C grants may focus on community needs assessments, partnership development, and building preliminary capacity to begin programming in the following areas:

• Outreach and technical assistance with the goals of scaling the adoption of climate-smart practices
• Developing the capabilities and partnerships necessary for implementing measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) plans
• Assessing and understanding market dynamics (e.g., understanding local demand for climate-smart commodities, analyzing barriers to producers’ participation in such markets). Assessments may be conducted with the goals of:
• Developing plans to mitigate barriers to participation and
• Developing partnerships to develop or expand local or regional climate-smart markets

Competitive proposals will focus on developing projects and partnerships across all three of the main components. Proposals focusing only on advancing one component (e.g., outreach, education, and technical assistance; research/demonstrations or advancing MMRV; assessing or expanding markets) will not meet the goals of a P&C grant.

Want to learn more? Join us for an informational webinar on March 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET, to explain the RFP and answer applicants’ questions. The RFP and several key resources are available on our website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to climate@nacdnet.org with any questions.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

Congress has reportedly reached an agreement on top line spending levels for each of the 12 Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills, but details have not been released. Congress has until March to pass federal spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown. Congressional agriculture committees are continuing to work to develop, negotiate, and introduce new farm bills, but text has not been released and the timeline is uncertain.

NACD AND USFS NEED YOUR FEEDBACK ON REFORESTATION

NACD and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are seeking your feedback on reforestation efforts. Completing this voluntary survey is essential for us to better understand conservation district and district partner involvement in reforestation, specifically in seedling production and nursery capacity. 

The data will be shared through NACD communication channels, as well as with key partners like the Forest Service, NRCS, and state forestry agencies. 

This ongoing data collection effort is a crucial resource for NACD and its partners, helping us refine programs, advocate for funding, and inform technical assistance for reforestation on private lands. 

If you have questions, please contact Annica McGuirk, NACD's Forestry Program Manager, at annica-mcguirk@nacdnet.org.