Minnehaha Conservation District

WHAT’S GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

If you’re like us, it feels like we’re all very focused on what’s going on across the country as far as COVID-19 is concerned. It was almost a relief to read these articles and feel somewhat “normal” again. For a brief respite from the fears and concerns, read on.

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.

NACD Blog: NACD offers educational pollinator field day guide
04/01/20

Conservation districts now have a new tool in their toolkit for teaching the important topic of pollinators.  NACD has released a free, first-of-its-kind curriculum, “A Guide to Conducting a Pollinator Conservation Field Day,” which is available for download through NACD’s new Conservation Education Hub.

AgDaily: Ag groups unite to advocate for conservation funding support
04/02/20

[This Thursday], 76 leading farm, conservation, and wildlife groups delivered a letter to Congress requesting full funding for conservation programs and technical assistance in fiscal year 2021 appropriations.

GrowingGeorgia: NACD Announces $8.5 Million in Grants to Conservation Districts
03/31/20

This is the third year of the Technical Assistance Grants program, created with funds from the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to help increase staffing at the field level to provide conservation services to farmers, ranchers, forestland owners and local communities across the U.S.

Farm and Dairy: Conservation planning helps save our soil
By Irene Moore
04/02/20

Now, more than ever before, American farmers and ranchers face a seemingly impossible task — to feed a rapidly growing global population. This challenge is being met with fewer farmable acres, less freshwater and more pronounced climate change. In an effort to assist the landowners and operators to meet these challenges, the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) was formed to emphasize the critical role that conservation planning plays in advancing voluntary conservation efforts on private lands.

Agri-Pulse: Agri-Pulse Poll: Farmers back carbon markets, but divided on climate change
By Philip Brasher
04/01/20

(Subscriber Only) Nearly one in every two American farmers would be interested in being paid to help reduce climate change, even though the climate issue is a relatively low priority and producers aren’t necessarily worried about its impact on their operations. The poll, conducted between Feb. 19 and March 13, also found that large majorities of farmers already have undertaken many practices that conserve carbon in the soil, reduce the use of pesticides and other inputs, or curb runoff of pollutants that can foul streams and lakes.

TIME Magazine: ‘Without Empathy, Nothing Works.’ Chef José Andrés Wants to Feed the World Through the Pandemic
By Sean Gregory
03/26/20

José Andrés’ rapidly expanding charity, World Central Kitchen, is as prepared as anyone for this moment of unprecedented global crisis. The nonprofit stands up field kitchens to feed thousands of people fresh, nourishing, often hot meals as soon as possible at the scene of a hurricane, earthquake, tornado or flood.

EurekAlert!: Changing forests
03/30/20

Using the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis database, researchers at UC Santa Barbara, the University of Utah and the U.S. Forest Service have studied how the traits of tree communities are shifting across the contiguous United States. The results indicate that communities, particularly in more arid regions, are becoming more drought tolerant, primarily through the death of less hardy trees.

Bay Journal: Forests’ hidden wetlands work for wildlife, water quality
By Kathy Reshetiloff
04/01/20

Many forested wetlands have standing water on a seasonal or temporary basis. They provide the same benefits as marshes even if it is not as apparent.

PennState: Organic soybean producers can be competitive using little or no tillage
By Jeff Mulhollem
03/30/20

Organic soybean producers using no-till and reduced-tillage production methods that incorporate cover crops — strategies that protect soil health and water quality — can achieve similar yields at competitive costs compared to tillage-based production.

Yale Environment 360: Can ‘Carbon Smart’ Farming Play a Key Role in the Climate Fight?
By Gabriel Popkin
03/31/20

Markets are emerging to pay farmers to store more carbon in the soil by using improved agricultural practices. But flows of greenhouse gases into and out of soil are complex, and some scientists are questioning whether these efforts will actually help slow global warming.

Phys.org: Researchers forecast longer, more extreme wildfire seasons
04/02/20

In California, a changing climate has made autumn feel more like summer, with hotter, drier weather that increases the risk of longer, more dangerous wildfire seasons, according to a new Stanford-led study.

E&E News: Bernhardt approves 11K miles of fire breaks out West
By Scott Streater
04/01/20

(Subscriber Only) The Interior Department announced today that it has formally approved a sweeping plan designed to protect communities and wildlife habitat in six Western states from the threat of wildfires.

ABC News: Largest U.S. dam removal stirs debate over coveted West water
By Gillian Flaccus
03/29/20

The second-largest river in California has sustained Native American tribes with plentiful salmon for millennia, provided upstream farmers with irrigation water for generations and served as a haven for retirees who built dream homes along its banks. With so many competing demands, the Klamath River has come to symbolize a larger struggle over the increasingly precious water resources of the U.S. West, and who has the biggest claim to them.

Phys.org: Impacts of cover crop planting dates on soil properties after 4 years
04/02/20

In a recent article in Agronomy Journal, researchers investigated how broadcasting cover crops pre-harvest or drilling post-harvest affected biomass production and soil properties after four years.

SOURCE: https://www.nacdnet.org/news-and-events/publications/conservation-clips/