Breakout Sessions

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

NACD 2008 Annual Meeting • February 10 - 13, 2008 • Reno, NV

A series of exciting and dynamic breakout sessions and workshops will be offered during NACD’s 2008 Annual Meeting. These sessions will provide registered members and guests with the opportunity to learn about new and exciting ways to address conservation issues on an ever-changing landscape. This year’s conference theme “Conservation Beyond Boundaries” will feature unique ideas and programs during the twelve breakout sessions on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, as well as the four hands-on workshops on Wednesday. Many of the sessions feature real-life programs carried out by conservation districts or new education programs. Others feature new opportunities for districts to provide service to producers while raising funds for their districts. Come learn of these new ideas and opportunities!

Monday, February 11, 2008

2:30-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Top 10 Reasons Why Marketing to Absentee Landowners Works
Absentee landowners are a growing segment of our population and yet, in many cases, they know little about conservation districts and programs available to them. Contacting and involving these landowners can be time consuming and difficult, but their cooperation and input is vital to the success of any natural resources conservation project.

Energy Audits – A Service That Helps the Bottom-Line for Producers and Your Conservation District
By participating in this partnership, your conservation district can assist local agriculture producers reduce their energy overhead by conducting on-farm energy audits. This partnership can improve the producers’ bottom-line and earn the conservation district additional funding for its efforts.

Water is Life – 2008 Stewardship Theme
Learn about Water is Life education materials and how to incorporate them into your District's youth and adult outreach efforts. Participate in activities, receive a free sample packet of 2008 materials and preview ideas for the 2009 soils theme. Project WET will also share ideas on water education in your community.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

CTIC Survey and Programs
The Conservation Technology Information Center, in partnership with local conservation districts has conducted surveys for many years. CTIC will showcase how and why surveys are conducted, how the information is used, and new programs they have developed.

Broadening Partnerships for Water Quality
Water quality in communities is more intensively affected because of the greater numbers of people. In their long-standing tradition, conservation districts have embraced partnerships wherever common goals are found.

Evaluating your District’s Outreach Program
Districts will learn how to enhance their outreach efforts and how to make them more effective and efficient. Existing outreach programs will be used as examples. Participants will be provided with worksheets to help them develop their own plans or use as a tools to review current programs.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

A Passion for Conservation
Come see how NRCS can help you spread your passion for conservation!

Tribal Conservation Districts
New conservation districts are being established with Native American Tribal Councils across the country. Learn of new ways to reach underserved conservation partners and hear of successful partnerships that have been achieved.

District Awards Showcase
Learn why these outstanding conservation districts were selected as national winners and hear as they share real ideas that you can take back and try in your community.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Locally Led in Developing Areas
Many communities are growing rapidly, and conservation districts are stepping up to the natural resource challenges. Learn how several districts engage their communities in addressing the issues.

District Officials Accreditation Program – Understanding Your Role & Responsibilities
Seven states are serving as pilots for this new program being developed by NACD’s District Operations/Member Services Committee. Pilot states will showcase their District Officials training and how the program is being implemented in their state.

District Awards Showcase
Learn why these outstanding conservation districts were selected as national winners and hear as they share real ideas that you can take back and try in your community.

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Walk a Mile in My Boots
Federal/State/Local officials and farmers/ranchers are “walking in each others boots” by shadowing each other to learn of the issues that they face on a daily basis, thus bringing a better understanding of farm and ranch operations and enhancing the implementation of conservation on the landscape.

State Association Executive Directors’ Roundtable
Executive Directors will have an opportunity to share issues/concerns/ideas in this open forum.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Concurrent Workshops

Management and Governance Issues for Conservation District Officials and Employees – What successful Districts need to know!
This workshop is designed to provide insights and guidance on successful district management and governance practices from first-hand accounts and experiences. There is a separate registration fee of $100 to cover expenses of this NCDEA organized and hosted event. Click here to register.

2008 Farm Bill: What does it mean for you?
Now that the US House of Representatives and the Senate have passed new Farm Bill proposals, what does it mean for you? This session will address the next steps in the Farm Bill process. Federal agencies, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency and the US Forest Service will revise regulations and implement a new Farm Bill. Hear first hand from those that will be involved in working on those regulations and providing direction to state and field offices on program revisions. The revisions to conservation and forestry programs potentially impact the work of all conservation districts across the country.

Exploring Environmental Issues: Places We Live
Is your community changing? What environmental issues are impacting your community? Project Learning Tree’s Exploring Environmental Issues: Places We Live module is a set of secondary activities where students or citizens examine how their community is changing and how they might have an impact on those changes. Each participant will receive the module. Participants will also preview new activities on carbon sequestration.

Stormwater Management: The How-to for Conservation Districts
Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is intended to reduce water quality degradation from smaller MS4s (municipal separate storm sewer systems) and construction sites 1 to 5 acres in size. There are six minimum control measures required for a successful program, all of which provide potential roles for districts. Learn about the measures, current status in states, what districts are doing and how your district can get engaged.