Southeast Region
NACD's Southeast Region Representative is Candice Abinanti. Candice is based in North Carolina and can be reached at candice-abinanti@nacdnet.org
Executive Board Member: Gary Blair (gary.blair1959[at]gmail.com), Starkville, Miss.
Region Chair: Franklin Williams (fowilliams[at]centurylink.net), Wallace, N.C.
Region Vice Chair: Micky Smith (msmith[at]uwa.edu), Emelle, Ala.
National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) Southeast Regional Director: Hope Daley, Miss.
National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) State Representatives
NACD Staff – Southeast Region Representative: Candice Abinanti (candice-abinanti[at]nacdnet.org), Charlotte, N.C.
Southeast Region Conservation Hall of Fame webpage
Announcements:
- With the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, NACD has created a COVID-19 webpage to keep you informed. It contains resources and guidance for conservation districts and their associations.
- Stewardship Week is right around the corner! Visit NACD’s Stewardship Week webpage to learn more and find resources to plan a successful virtual event. Due to COVID-19 concerns, NACD suggests holding virtual (e.g., webinars, press releases) instead of in-person events.
- The Conservation Planning Boot Camp schedule for 2020 has been released. Interested? Apply early through your state/territory association. Spots fill up fast!
- Congratulations to Barbara Bleiweis with the Mecklenburg SWCD in North Carolina and Mark Masters with the Lower Chattahoochee River SWCD in Georgia for being selected for the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) inaugural cohort!
Upcoming Events:
- March 25, 2020: Virtual Advocacy Day
- April 26-May 3, 2020: 2020 Stewardship Week: “Where would we BEE without Pollinators”
- July 18-21, 2020: 2020 NACD Summer Conservation Forum and Tour, Bismarck, N.D.
- July 26-31, 2020: 2020 NCF-Envirothon, Lincoln, Neb.
- Aug. 9-11, 2020: 2020 NACD Southeast Region Meeting, Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Nov. 3-4, 2020: 2020 Southeast Conservation District Employees Association Annual Conference, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
- Feb. 6-10, 2021: 75th NACD Annual Meeting, New Orleans, La.
Submit any questions, news or events to candice-abinanti[at]nacdnet.org and check NACD’s calendar for more events, including state meetings
Where to Find Your Region Representative:
- July 5-7, 2020: Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting, Lexington, KY
- Aug. 9-11, 2020: 2020 NACD Southeast Region Meeting, Gulf Shores, Ala.
Federal Policy and Partner Updates:
- NRCS seeks public comments on its interim rule for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) until April 13, 2020
- The public comment periods for the 2018 Farm Bill’s changes to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) have closed. See letters and comments submitted by NACD here.
Grants:
Technical Assistance (TA) Grants
- The next TA Grants round 1 (TA2018) and round 2 (TA2019) Quarterly Reports are due: April 20, 2020 for the reporting period of Jan. 1 – March. 31, 2020
- Have a TA Grant success story? Please share information with candice-abinanti[at]nacdnet.org
Urban Agriculture Conservation (UAC) Grant Initiative
- Congratulations to the Southeast Region’s 2020 UAC grant recipients: Richland SWCD in South Carolina and Colonial SWCD in Virginia
Friends of NACD District Grants Program – Districts helping districts
- Congratulations to Richland SWCD in South Carolina for being awarded a $2,500 grant from the Friends of NACD District Grants Program
Stories from the Southeast Region:
- NACD and Pollinator Partnership Name Georgia Farm Winners of Pollinator Conservation Award, Oct. 24, 2019
- South Carolina district is helping to restore longleaf, enhance habitat, Sep. 24, 2019
- Duval SWCD celebrates 66th anniversary, Sept. 10, 2019
- Virginia Team Named 2019 NCF-Envirothon Champions, Aug. 4, 2019
- Caribe Soil Conservation District reinstates Youth Board and inaugurates irrigation system, June 5, 2019
- Mississippi districts, NWTF help to educate the next generation, May 21, 2019
- Alabama field day helps educate hundreds, March 22, 2019
- Forest Farming in Leake County, Mississippi: Mushrooms Appeal to Rural and Urban Growers, March 6, 2019
- Henderson County SWCD Restores 1,000 Feet of Stream in North Carolina, Feb. 21, 2019
- TA grant helps get things moving in South Carolina, Jan. 22, 2019
Please send any resources, job posts, events, blogs, news to share, questions, comments, etc. to Candice Abinanti, candice-abinanti[at]nacdnet.org
For information on the Southeast Region meeting, click here.