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February 10, 2009
NACD Annual Meeting Inspires Hope for the Future of Conservation
Nearly 1000 conservation leaders from across the nation
gathered last week in New Orleans, La. for NACD’s 63rd
Annual Meeting. The conference focused on the theme
“Building a Better Tomorrow,” and the future of districts
and natural resource conservation took center stage.
General sessions and breakouts featured an exciting line-up
of traditional and emerging partners. Attendees heard from
agency and organization partners such as the National Wild
Turkey Federation, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), WildLaw, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Speakers
emphasized the desire to establish new partnerships or
strengthen existing partnerships with districts in an
effort to accomplish conservation goals across the country,
both today and in the future.
The NACD Board of Directors met before and during the
conference, setting association policy and electing NACD’s
2009 Officer Team. The association will be led for the next
two years by President Steve Robinson of Marysville, Ohio;
First Vice President Gene Schmidt of Hanna, Ind.; Second
Vice President Earl Garber of Basile, La.; and
Secretary/Treasurer Jack Majeres of Dell Rapids, S.D.
Three new Executive Board members were also elected to
serve: Steve Miller from Fairfield, Idaho for the
Pacific Region; Jon Starns from Winona, Kan. for
the Northern Plains Region; and Pat Henderson of
Iverington, Ky. for the Southeast Region.
Individuals and districts also received national
recognition at the conference for their outstanding
conservation efforts in their respective communities.
Information about national award winners can be found at
http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/awards/.
Over the course of the entire meeting, attendees had the
opportunity to attend partner meetings, visit with NACD’s
Conservation Expo exhibitors, participate in another
record-setting Live Auction and see Louisiana’s natural
resource challenges first-hand on state-hosted tours.
Additional conference news, photos and resources have been
posted on the post-conference website at
http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting. Check it out
today, but be sure to keep checking back; additional
resources will be added over the next few weeks as they become available.
Senate Passes Stimulus, Conference Begins
Today the U.S. Senate passed their $838 billion version of
the economic stimulus by a vote of 61-37. Critical in
securing the vote was a compromise amendment by Senator Ben
Nelson (D-NE) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
The economic stimulus now goes to conference between the
House and Senate, where differences between the two
respective bills will be resolved. NACD sent a letter
today to Congressional leaders and conferees encouraging
support at the highest level between the two bills: $350
million for NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations;
$65 million for Watershed Rehabilitation; $850 million for
Forest Service wildland fire activities; and $325 million
for Bureau of Land Management restoration and hazardous
fuels reduction. NACD’s letter can be viewed at
http://nacdnet.org/policy/input/letters/stimulus_2-10-09.pdf.
Congressional leaders continue to emphasize that final
passage of the economic stimulus will be completed before
the President’s Day recess next week. NACD remains engaged
in Congress’ work on the economic stimulus and will
continue to provide updates as progress is made.
You, Too, Can Become a Friend of NACD
Last week at the 2009 NACD Annual Meeting in New Orleans,
La., NACD officially launched its revamped individual
membership program, which is called Friends of NACD. We
invite you to participate. Your individual membership will
help support NACD in its work as it carries a unified voice
for conservation and develops resources to support
conservation districts.
The Friends of NACD Individual Membership program is open
to any individual who wants to support the work of NACD,
whether you are a district official, district employee,
federal partner, or any individual with personal interest
in conservation. Won’t you consider making a personal
investment and become a Friend of NACD?
Membership levels include Steward ($50 per year), Champion
($100 per year), Lifetime ($1000 one-time contribution) and
a new Student category ($15 per year). To learn about
details and benefits of this new membership program, go to
http://nacdnet.org/membership/friendsofnacd/.
If you have questions, contact NACD Director of Member Services Brad Ross at
brad-ross@nacdnet.org.
NACD and AEM Formalize Partnership, Expand Collaboration
Last week NACD expanded their partnership with the
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), providing
additional opportunities and benefits for their respective
members. AEM Vice President of Agricultural Services
Charles O’Brien attended NACD’s 63rd Annual Meeting in New
Orleans, La., where he and NACD President John Redding
signed a formalized agreement between the two groups.
O’Brien also announced the two initial recipients of the
NACD/AEM Equipment Awards, presenting both winners with
cash awards. The awards highlight conservation districts’
use of equipment and technology to put conservation on the
ground. See http://nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/awards/aem.phtml for additional details about the winners.
Later in the week, NACD and AEM issued a joint release
announcing NACD’s support for the AG CONNECT Expo. The full text of the news release is available at http://nacdnet.org/news/newsroom/releases/2009/02_06_09.phtml. AG
CONNECT Expo 2010 is the new agricultural tradeshow slated
for January 13-15, 2010 in Orlando, Fla. AG CONNECT Expo
2010 will showcase the latest innovations, products,
services and technology in all agriculture sectors and
offer access to leading worldwide industry experts. See
http://www.agconnect.com/ for additional details about the
event and information for exhibitors.
Applications Being Accepted for Conservation Innovation
Grants
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently
announced a nationwide competitive grants process to award
of up to $20 million in Conservation Innovation Grants
(CIG). The CIG program stimulates the development and
adoption of well-researched conservation practices or
technologies by installing pilot projects or field
demonstrations. There are four grant categories in 2009:
natural resources, technology, grant leveraging, and
Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This is the first year NRCS has
offered the grant leveraging category. Six natural resource
concerns are targeted for funding: water resources, soil
resources, atmospheric resources, grazing land, forest
health and wildlife habitat.
The deadline for application is March 2, 2009. Grants will
fund both single- and multi-year projects, not to exceed
three years. Successful projects would begin implementation
October 1, 2009. The CIG program and application materials
are available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/index.html.
Potential Wetlands Restoration Funding Opportunities for
Districts
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering both a
Standard and Small Grants Program to assist organizations,
individuals and other entities in wetland conservation
projects throughout the United States under the guidelines
of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989.
Funding will be available at a 1:1 matching ratio. Federal
funds may be used in the projects, but they cannot count
towards the matching funds.
The U.S. Standard Grants Program funds projects that
involve long-term protection, restoration and/or
enhancement of wetlands and associated habitats. The
deadlines for applications are March 6 and July 31, 2009.
In fiscal year 2008, this program funded $52.9 million in
wetland projects.
The U.S. Small Grants Program funds the similar projects
as the Standard Program, but these projects are typically
smaller in scope and involve fewer project dollars. Grant
requests cannot exceed $75,000, and funding priority is
given to new applicants. In the fiscal year 2008, this
program funded $2 million in projects. The deadline for
application of the Small Grants Program is October 29, 2009.
For more information on both of these funding opportunities
and how to apply, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service website at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm.
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