National Association of Conservation Districts

Disaster Recovery and Land Reclamation

Conservation districts came into existence as a result of one of the nation’s greatest environmental catastrophes—the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. They know what it takes to reclaim seriously damaged lands, and they have worked successfully over the years to prevent them. But natural disasters do happen.

Whether it’s wildland fire, flood, hurricane or any other, conservation districts are still there. They are the primary local connection to land clean up and reclamation, and are often the first onsite even when their own homes and properties may be affected. Time after time, conservation district board members, staff and partners can be found in the midst of helping others through disaster recovery. They are there for the long run, working to restore and protect the damaged lands and natural resources.

And they are also there addressing the often human-caused resources issues such as invasive species, working to restore lands to their original health.

District Showcases

• Jefferson CD, CO (PDF, 5.2MB) - The Phoenix Guide: A Handbook of Watershed and Community Recovery Post Fire Recovery for Conservation Districts and Others by the Jefferson CD, CO. This Handbook is intended to provide Conservation Districts, nonprofit groups, and communities with a step-by-step guide to use in developing a post-fire recovery and rehabilitation plan.


• Rockingham CD, NH (PDF 6.2MB) - Cooperative Project to Control Invasive Plants in the New Hampshire Seacoast Region. The purpose of the project is to coordinate with a variety of natural resource agencies and organizations and initiate an innovative collaborative effort to combat invasive species in the seacoast, with the main objective to restore degraded wetland and adjacent upland habitats through the control of invasive, non-native plants.


• Nemaha NRD, NE (PDF 518KB) - An article in the Nemaha Natural Resource District newlsetter on hazard mitigation planning, a concept promoted by FEMA throughout the U.S. to look at ways to mitigate damage caused by future, catastrophic events.

Training
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Potential Funding Sources
Federal Emergency Management Agency