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November 16, 2010
Time Running out for Annual Conference “Early Bird”
Registration
Don’t Forget: “Early Bird” registration for NACD’s 2011
Annual Meeting closes two weeks from today (on November 30).
Registrants can also receive a special rate at the Gaylord
Opryland Resort & Convention Center by booking a room before
Friday, December 30. Click here
for pictures of the famous resort, which celebrated its grand
reopening earlier this week!
This year’s conference focuses on conservation “From the
Roots Up,” highlighting locally led conservation efforts.
Districts and individuals from across the nation will showcase
their commitment to conservation in general sessions, breakout
events, tours and activities.
NACD’s 2011 Annual Meeting is sponsored by Commonwealth
Agri-Energy, GrassWorks Weed Wiper, Pioneer, Plum Creek,
Reinke, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Worldview Solutions
and AEM.
For more information, visit NACD's Annual Meeting website.
NACD Asks Members to Act during Lame Duck Session
The U.S. Congress returned to Washington this week for a
short “lame duck” session. Its top priority will be concluding
work on Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations. With very few days
left on the Congressional calendar, it’s extremely important
we make our conservation priorities known.
Reach out to your Members of Congress and urge them to OPPOSE
any efforts to cut Farm Bill conservation programs and REJECT
any efforts to use these programs as offsets to fund other
congressional priorities. These programs are vital to locally
led conservation efforts.
In addition, please ask them to SUPPORT the Family Farm Estate
Tax Relief Act (H.R. 5475) introduced by Congressman Mike
Thompson (D-CA) and the Family Farm Estate Tax Deferral Act
(S. 3664) introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The
estate tax, as currently written, promotes the break-up, sale
and development of family-owned farms, ranches and green spaces.
Without relief, many of these lands could be sold for development.
We encourage you to send letters to your Member of Congress.
Click here
to view a sample letter and additional details. If you are interested in submitting an
op-ed on these issues to your local newspaper, please contact
Danielle Dills for assistance.
USDA Announces Large WRP Enrollment
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced
an enrollment of more than 272,000 acres in the Wetlands
Reserve Program (WRP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. This is a 52
percent increase from the 179,000 acres enrolled in FY 2009,
and represents the highest single-year enrollment in the
program’s history. There are currently more than 2.3 million
acres enrolled in WRP nationwide.
WRP provides both technical and financial assistance to private
landowners and Indian Tribes to restore, protect and enhance
wetlands that have been degraded or converted for agricultural
uses. This is a voluntary program available on a continuous
sign-up basis.
To learn more, click here.
Texas Reaches Soil Survey Milestone
Last week, the Texas Conservation Partnership celebrated a
milestone at the Texas AgriLife Blackland Research and
Extension Center with the dedication of a monument honoring
the “Last Acre Surveyed.”
The state’s soil survey fieldwork began in 1899, and 110
years and 172 million acres later, the initial survey has
been completed; the last acre was mapped in Hudspeth County
this summer. The soil surveys were originally published in
hard copy, but are now available online through the Web Soil
Survey,
a national database with information gathered from across
the country.
With 172 million acres to survey, the project required a
huge partnership effort that included the Natural Resource
Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation Districts,
universities, extension services, experiment stations and
many others.
More than 100 people attended the unveiling of the monument.
NCF’s $10,000 Award: An Opportunity for Districts
The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) seeks to encourage
and facilitate the implementation of unique programs and
services by districts and other conservation organizations.
NCF wishes to honor programs that advance the conservation,
wise use and orderly development of our nation’s natural resources.
In keeping with this mission, the Foundation is excited to
once again offer this $10,000 award for one winning conservation
district to carry out a project within their boundaries.
The Foundation is seeking “on-the-ground” projects that touch
local communities and can be completed by December 1, 2011.
Projects can use other funding in conjunction with NCF’s cash
award. Proposals must include a two-three minute video outlining
the proposed project. Please upload the video to YouTube and
e-mail the link to the address below.
Completed application forms and videos must be submitted to
the Foundation by December 3, 2010. Click here
to view more information and download an application form.
The award will be presented at the 2011 NACD Annual Meeting
in Nashville. Please contact Rich Duesterhaus
for questions or additional information.
Practitioner’s Network Seeks Nominees
The Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy and
the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy are currently seeking
nominees for a Practitioner's Network for Large Landscape
Conservation . The new network will seek to build awareness
and understanding of the diversity of approaches to catalyze,
enable and sustain large landscape conservation initiatives
across North America.
To apply, please send the following information, including
one or two examples of initiatives that are promising or
represent the future of this movement: (1) name and location
of the initiative; (2) key contact person (note that this
may be an executive director, member of a board of directors
or government official); and (3) the reason you believe this
initiative should be included in the initial gathering of
the network.
The first meeting of the Practitioner’s Network will be
May 18-19, 2011 at the Lincoln House in Cambridge, Mass.
Please submit nominations to Shawn Johnson
by close of business on Wednesday, November 17, 2010.
Enjoy reading eNotes? Sign up your board today at http://nacdnet.org/news/publications/enotes/ or forward this link to a friend and encourage them to sign up too. Take advantage of helpful conservation news and resources arriving in your inbox every Tuesday at no charge.
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