Conservation field day sparks stewardship in New York 11/21/2017
By Caitlin Stewart Earlier this fall, the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (HCSWCD) in upstate New York hosted its 38th annual Lynn Galusha Memorial Conservation Field Day to encourage fifth and sixth graders to become the future stewards of our natural resources. The event drew 72 area students from Lake Pleasant, Wells, Long…… Continue reading →
New bill supports NACD policy on CRP grazing 11/16/2017
By Edward Hutschenreuter Farmers with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) may now have a new environmentally beneficial option for satisfying their contract requirements. On November 9, Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri introduced the “CRP Grazing Flexibility Act” (H.R. 4298), which would allow farmers to graze livestock on their enrolled CRP acreage as an…… Continue reading →
Conservationists in Washington state host 10th annual Wounded Veteran Duck Hunt 11/06/2017
On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 18, 2017, the Barker Ranch in West Richland, Washington, hosted its 10th Annual Wounded Veteran Duck Hunt to honor those that have served and sacrificed for their country. The Barker Ranch is a 2,000-acre private ranch and wildlife area that is best known for the volume of ducks and…… Continue reading →
Celebrating bats: Unexpected pollinators 10/26/2017
By Sara Kangas Bat Week is held each October 24 – 31 and raises awareness for how integral bats are to our ecosystems. Bats are some of America’s best pollinators, but they’re often shrouded in mystery! Here are some facts about pollinating bats in the United States: Chiropterophily is the official term for pollination of…… Continue reading →
Forestry Notes Q&A: National Wild Turkey Federation 08/24/2017
Rebecca Barnard, National Forestry Programs Manager National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) As the national forestry programs manager with the National Wild Turkey Federation, Rebecca Barnard provides direction to NWTF’s forestry outreach and partnership efforts; serves as a liaison to federal, state, NGO, and for-profit forestry organizations; and promotes active forest management to internal and external…… Continue reading →
Voluntary conservation curbs the plague, boosts black-footed ferret numbers in the Southwest 08/16/2017
By Elijah Olomoniyi Yesterday, federal and state wildlife groups met north of Fort Collins, Colorado, at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center to celebrate the ways voluntary conservation and a new sylvatic plague vaccine are helping to bring the black-footed ferret back from the brink of extinction. [caption id="attachment_9858" align="alignleft" width="489"] Black-footed ferret populations are mostly…… Continue reading →
VESP means good stewardship in Vermont 08/14/2017
By Bill Berry What good things are there to say about the Vermont Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP)? Let us count some of the ways. The program will be piloted this year and next on 10 to 12 farms. It is an example of cooperative conservation at its best with roles for federal, state, and local…… Continue reading →
Conservation in Montana: Endecott Ranch 06/16/2017
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (MDNRC) has recently published three stories on Montana farmers and ranchers who have devoted a great deal of time and energy to conservation work. In the series' first story (featured below), we meet Janet Endecott of McAllister, Montana. NACD would like to thank Linda Brander, a resource specialist for the Conservation Districts Bureau within MDNRC,…… Continue reading →
Interior secretary asks for review of greater sage-grouse conservation plans 06/08/2017
By Chris Heck On Wednesday, June 7, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed a secretarial order that charges an internal team with the review of all federal and state greater sage-grouse conservation plans finalized in September 2015. The team will have 60 days to evaluate whether the federal and state plans are complementary, and if deemed appropriate, will discuss modifying…… Continue reading →
DOI review of designations under Antiquities Act underway 04/27/2017
By Chris Heck What is the Antiquities Act? The Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. During his presidency, Roosevelt used the act 18 times. Seven of his original designations have been upgraded to “national park” or “national forest” by Congress, or in the case…… Continue reading →