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 Annual Meeting TA Grant Participant: Anna Olsen
06/17/22

This blog post is part of a nine-part series highlighting technical assistance (TA) grant recipient participation at NACD’s 76th Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. This post’s author, Anna Olsen of Cachuma Resource Conservation District in CA, attended the meeting as a TA speaker.

Phys.org: How to Store More Carbon in Soil During Climate Change
By Erin Matthews
06/20/22

Researchers from several universities are using synchrotron light to investigate how moisture affects soil carbon—an important ingredient for healthy crops and fertile fields.

Successful Farming: How Conservation Pays Long Term
By Megan Schilling
06/21/22

One producer discusses how on his farm, thanks to a variety of soil health and conservation practices implemented over the years, he has seen his input costs lower, equipment and labor costs reduced, and increased yields, especially in stressful weather.

Hay & Forage Grower: Water Quality is Key for Grazing Animals
By Amber Friedrichsen
06/21/22

Water is the basis of life, whether it be for humans, plants, or animals. While water quantity is often questioned with drought conditions threatening supply, water quality is sometimes overlooked as an important aspect of grazing livestock production.

Marketplace: Extreme Heat Threatens U.S. Herds and Crops
By Savannah Maher
06/22/22

A heat wave has been making its way across the country and bringing triple-digit temperatures to many cities and rural communities. The extreme temperatures have already had an impact on agriculture.

Times Publishing Group: Resource Conservation District Gets $390,000
By Angie Gruys | Aptos, CA | Pacific Region
06/16/22

Cal Fire has awarded the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts a “Wildfire Resilience” block grant to support 10 Resource Conservation Districts statewide in helping both public and private landowners with forest management planning and project implementation.

Oklahoma State University Extension: Honey Bees are Famous, But Native Bees are Powerful Pollinators
By Gail Ellis | Stillwater, OK | South Central Region
06/16/22

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture report not only bees but also wasps, butterflies, other insects and birds are all responsible for pollinating more than 100 crops in the U.S. while contributing to healthy ecosystems of clean air and viable soil.

VTx: Virginia Tech Earns Bee Campus USA Certification for its Work with Pollinators and Vision for Conservation
By James Mason | Blacksburg, VA | Southeast Region
06/17/22

For the first time, Virginia Tech earned the Bee Campus USA certification for commitment to sustaining native insect pollinators. The initiative is sponsored by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Wharton State Forest Wildfire Could Become N.J.'s Largest in 15 Years
By Ximena Conde and Kasturi Pananjady | Philadelphia, PA | Northeast Region
06/20/22

A wildfire in South Jersey’s Wharton State Forest spread to 12,000 acres Monday, as officials said it was on track to become the largest wildfire in the state in 15 years.

We Are Iowa: How to Slow the Spread of Invasive Species in Iowa this Summer
By Anna Kutz | Des Moines, IA | North Central Region
06/20/22

As Iowans gear up to spend the next few months enjoying warm weather and exploring the outdoors, the chance of invasive species spreading is on the rise. Earlier this month, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that June is Invasive Species Awareness Month in Iowa.

The Post-Journal: Different Invasive Species Require Different Approaches
By Jay Young | Jamestown, NY | Northeast Region
06/20/22

There are a lot of different tools in the toolbox available to us when it comes to maintaining the health and usability of Chautauqua Lake. Even if we look at one specific issue –like invasive species–there are many different ways to approach each challenge.

KESQ: Pollinator Week: How You Can Help Protect the Habitat of Pollinators
By Marian Bouchot | Thousand Palms, CA | Pacific Region
06/20/22

A pollinator is an animal that causes plants to make fruit or seeds. Pollinators include bees, bats, birds, beetles, butterflies, moths, and small mammals. Stable pollinator populations are foundational for healthy ecosystems and food systems.

Northern Kentucky Tribune: TriState Invasive Species Group Calls on Citizens to Help Remove One Million Invasive Plants this Year
Edgewood, KY | Southeast Region
06/21/22

The Ohio River Valley Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ORV CISMA) announces its efforts to go on an aggressive offensive against a harmful environmental threat – invasive plant species.

The Salt Lake Tribune: Smoke Chokes Bryce Canyon National Park as Utah Wildfire Scorches 3,000 Acres
By Anastasia Hufham| Utah | Southwest Region
06/21/22

The Left Fork Fire continues to rage in Dixie National Forest, having scorched over 3,000 acres as of Tuesday morning with only about 5% containment.

Wisconsin Examiner: State Unveils $19.5M in Grants to Bolster Workforce in Manufacturing, Forestry
By Eric Gunn | Wisconsin | North Central Region
06/22/22

Projects to provide training, bolster job skills and lower barriers to employment in a broad swath of northern Wisconsin will get $19.5 million in support in a series of grants including up to $8 million to the Wisconsin Forestry Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Miami County Republic: Miami County Conservation District Receives Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant
By Brian McCauley | Paola, KS | Northern Plains Region
06/22/22

The Miami County Conservation District (MCCD) has received an urban agriculture conservation grant through a partnership with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to boost technical capacity

KOB 4: Forest Service Report Outlines Errors, Miscalculations that Led to Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire
By Matt Grubs & Brittany Costello | Albuquerque, NM | Southwest Region
06/22/22

A U.S. Forest Service review says the agency used outmoded modeling and didn’t account for a myriad of troubling factors in April before starting a prescribed burn that blew up into the largest wildfire in New Mexico history.