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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 accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) applauds the appointment of Aubrey Bettencourtto serve as Chief of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Her experiences on working lands and farms instilled in her a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of people and landscapes, shaping her desire to make a tangible impact. Rachel’s journey led her to the Working Lands Conservation Corps (WLCC), an AmeriCorps program supported through the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) that provides educational opportunities and hands-on experience and allows individuals to immerse themselves in their local environment while fostering community engagement.
The nation’s 59 state and territorial foresters welcome Chief Tom Schultz as the 21st Chief of the USDA Forest Service and look forward to working with him to strengthen state-federal partnerships that improve the health and sustainability of America’s forests on all lands.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced key presidential appointments to the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area. These appointees will lead efforts to advance President Trump’s America First agenda and ensure that farmers, ranchers, and producers have the support they need to keep feeding, fueling, and clothing America.
Cow-calf producer Lee Eikermann of Delhi Sustainable Farms in Bourbon, Mo., grew up on a fam, then became a union commercial carpenter amid the challenging 1980s. But in the 1990s, his passion for farming reemerged with the birth of his son, Wyatt. They’ve since become partners in envisioning an increasingly sustainable future on this direct-to-market grass-fed beef operation.
The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, a public agency that works to restore the land, is also using native seeds to revive the Woolsey burn scar. They focus on a specific keystone species: the coast live oak. Not only do these native oaks support the habitats of some 250 species, but they’re also surprisingly fire-resistant.
Trump administration funding terminations, freezes and layoffs are keeping some North Dakota farmers and rural nonprofits from continuing USDA and other federally funded projects. In some cases, projects long in the making were terminated or thrown into uncertainty, washing away months and even years of work.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that as much as $10 billion thorough a new program in agricultural relief payments will be awarded to farmers. Payments will be administered directly to producers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
This summer, the farm managers had even bigger plans. They wanted to set up a community food forest that would include Indigenous plants and fruit trees. But the forest – and many more of Tyonek Grown’s plans – are now up in the air. That’s due to federal staff and funding cuts, said Laurie Stuart, the executive director for Tyonek Tribal Conservation District, which manages the farm.
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