National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONSERVATION LEADERS KICK OFF
 NACD ANNUAL MEETING

ORLANDO, Fla.—Feb. 1, 2010—Attendees at the National Association of Conservation Districts’ 64th annual meeting here Monday greeted a new leader who promised them a bright future.

The kickoff of the conference officially marked Jeff Eisenberg’s first day on the job as the new NACD Chief Executive Officer. His first remarks to representatives of America’s 3,000 conservation districts and partners outlined a set of priorities for the Association.

Eisenberg is no stranger to the conservation family. Most recently he served as executive director of the Public Lands Council, where he represented ranchers’ interests. Eisenberg said he plans to focus his energy on policy, fundraising and services to members. “My goal is to increase conservation that makes sense for producers, private lands, public lands and urban areas,” Eisenberg said. He promised to work with districts, officers and staff to strengthen districts’ roles in delivering programs to those customers.

On the fundraising front, Eisenberg said he would work to diversify sources of income for NACD and districts. He also noted that increased services to members will include a strong leadership development program, new training opportunities and efforts to strengthen local governance of districts.

NACD President Steve Robinson of Marysville, Ohio noted that while much has changed in the 20 years he has been involved with conservation districts, many core duties remain the same. “While the faces of NACD and the numbers we work with—customers, dollars or programs—have changed, many of our natural resource concerns and district services will still remain the same,” he said. But the future will hold new challenges and opportunities, he said, including addressing natural resource issues on a regional level, working across state lines with both traditional and nontraditional partnerships. Robinson cited new partnerships dealing with water quality, forest health and other areas, and he encouraged districts to find ways to incorporate new tools like social media in cost-effective efforts to reach traditional and new clients.

U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) welcomed attendees to Florida, focusing on the importance of districts and producers being part of the dialogue about climate change. While cap-and-trade legislation in Washington, D.C. is stalled, he said people who tend working lands need to remain alert about efforts to address global warming gases like carbon. “As I tell our farmers, this conversation about carbon is not limited to the halls of Congress … More and more retailers are starting to want know what our carbon footprints are. We need to base those on science,” he said. Mega-retailers like Wal-Mart can have a huge impact on producers through its policies, he said.

Among other speakers at the conference’s first session was Harris Sherman, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment. “[Districts] have a lot of friends at USDA who are committed to what you are doing. We fully understand we cannot do this without what you do,”  he said. Citing NACD’s long partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, he said, “I realize in the past, NRCS has not had the kind of attention it deserves at USDA. I assure you, it will in this Administration.”

Conference participants will spend the next two days attending breakout sessions, hearing from key government officials and conservationists and recognizing exceptional conservation efforts of member districts and partners of NACD.

###

The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD’s website is at www.nacdnet.org.