Last Wednesday, more than 200 conservation district leaders from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in NACD’s 2024 Spring Fly-In. Members began the day with breakfast in the Kennedy Caucus Room, where Senator Boozman, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and NRCS Chief Terry Cosby provided remarks. Both leaders emphasized the importance of Congress continuing to support our country’s locally led conservation delivery system.

Participants went on to meet with hundreds of members of Congress and their staff in the Senate and House of Representatives. NACD members advocated for many NACD legislative requests and emphasized the importance of integrating all remaining IRA investments into the conservation title of the farm bill, quickly passing a farm bill, and increasing funding for NRCS Conservation Operations in Fiscal Year 2025. NACD’s Officers and Executive Board met with federal leaders from the USDA, White House, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies to discuss program implementation and strengthening partnerships to improve locally led conservation.

That evening, NACD hosted a reception where our members joined congressional representatives, staff, and conservation partners to celebrate locally led conservation and district advocacy. Congressman Jim Baird, Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation joined and provided remarks highlighting the important role districts play in implementing effective conservation in all parts of the country.

NACD thanks participants for taking the time and effort to participate in NACD’s Fly-In, and we look forward to continuing to work with all members to advocate for locally led conservation.

Spring Fly-In participants are invited to complete this short survey to provide feedback and help us improve future Fly-In events and materials. See photos from the day on NACD's Flickr page. Visit NACD’s website to view our 2023 issue papers, 2023 farm bill recommendations, and more.

JOIN US FOR THE NEXT CONSERVATION COFFEE: ALL ABOUT EDUCATION

Join NACD and our District and Partner Relations Committee for the next Conservation Coffee, a virtual learning and networking opportunity for districts and their partners!

On April 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom, learn from Aimee Figgatt, NACD’s Stewardship and Education Coordinator, about NACD’s Stewardship Week (April 28-May 5) and the variety of free resources available to districts to support their programming. Aimee will also share information on other educational resources available through NACD.

Registration for the session is free and open to anyone with an interest in joining! If you're unable to attend live, the session will be recorded and shared later. Check out the previous coffees, as well as a variety of other recorded learning and networking sessions, on NACD’s YouTube here. 

If you would like to volunteer for a future coffee to share projects, success stories, provide a mini training opportunity, etc., please reach out to Dr. Ariel Rivers, NACD’s Director of Membership Engagement.

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY FOR NACD'S 2024 UAC GRANTS

This is the last call to apply for this round of NACD's Urban and Community Conservation Grants! 

Applications for up to $60,000 to support projects that promote the delivery of conservation technical assistance in urban and community-oriented settings, including projects that serve rural populations. 

Applications are due April 1, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. PT. See the full RFP online here.

With over 100 example projects already completed or active in 35 states (see NACD’s UAC Story Map), conservation districts have provided technical assistance to urban and smallholder farmers on soil health, pollinators, biodiversity conservation, native plants, irrigation and water management, and a variety of other technical topics. 

While not a required aspect of the grants, many conservation districts have used their UAC grants to further develop their own programming related to underrepresented clients. Many grantees have addressed food security and sovereignty within their local communities and supported minority farmers, migrant communities, and others who may not have traditionally accessed conservation district programming. Potential UAC applicants are encouraged to read NACD’s Board Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity to understand our commitment to equitable programming.

Any questions about the UAC grant may be directed to Rachel Theler, NACD's Southwest Region Representative.