Annual Awards
NACD's Annual Awards Program recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding work and leadership in soil and water conservation. The 2024 awardees were recognized at a ceremony held in their honor at NACD's 2025 Annual Meeting. Please submit any questions you may have to awards@email.nacdnet.org.
NACD Service Awards
NACD Friend of Conservation Award
The Friend of Conservation Award recognizes an individual, business, organization, or agency outside the association for outstanding contributions to the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. Any individual, business, organization, or agency that is not directly associated with conservation districts at the local, state, or national level is eligible to receive this award. Nominations can be made by any individual, organization, agency, or conservation district. The Friend of Conservation Award recipient will be selected by the NACD Awards Committee.
The award recipient will be honored at the NACD Annual Meeting in February. They will also receive complimentary meeting registration, two complimentary tickets to the Appreciation Banquet, a plaque, and national recognition in NACD publications. All nominations will receive certificates of honorable mention from the NACD president.
Winners and their nominators are responsible for their own travel and hotel arrangements.
Nominations are closed for the 2024 Award.
NACD Distinguished Service Award
The NACD Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual within the association, a conservation district, or a state association that has made significant contributions to the conservation and proper management of our nation’s natural resources. Nominees can be involved with districts or the association at any level, including past NACD officers. Nominations are also accepted for individuals posthumously and may be submitted by any individual, organization, agency, or conservation district. The recipient will be selected by the NACD Awards Committee.
The award recipient will be honored at the NACD Annual Meeting in February. They will also receive complimentary meeting registration, two complimentary tickets to the Appreciation Banquet, a plaque, and national recognition in NACD publications. All nominations will receive certificates of honorable mention from the NACD president.
Winners and their nominators are responsible for their own travel and hotel arrangements.
Nominations are closed for the 2024 Award.
NACD President’s Award
Chosen by the NACD President, this award recognizes an individual or organization that has been especially dedicated to advancing conservation during the president’s term. The award recipient will be honored at the NACD Annual Meeting this coming February.
Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence
Sponsored by the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) whose members include the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) and the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils (NARCDC).
Invoking the leadership and dedication of Hugh Hammond Bennett, the father of the modern soil conservation movement and the first chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service), the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence recognizes a producer and a conservation planner from within the NCPP who have exemplified outstanding service through development and implementation of sound conservation planning and other conservation techniques.
More information about the award can be found on NCPP’s website.
Nominations are closed for the 2024 Award.
Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award
On December 7, 2007, conservation lost a friend and outstanding leader in NACD President Olin Sims. Sims was a rancher from McFadden, Wyo., who devoted years of distinguished service to conservation initiatives at the state and national levels. In tribute to Sims’ memory, and to help further promote and recognize outstanding conservation leadership at the state and local levels, NRCS and NACD jointly established the Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award. The award will be presented at the NACD Annual Meeting this coming February to one up-and-coming leader who demonstrates excellence in promoting and leading voluntary conservation on private lands.
Nominations are closed for the 2024 Award. To coordinate submittal of a nomination, contact your NRCS State Conservation later in the fall of 2025 when nominations reopen.
Nominations consist of a one-page description of the nominee’s leadership and volunteer service qualities and the ways the nominee has served to promote conservation at the state or local level.
NACD Hall of Distinction
NACD created the Hall of Distinction to recognize and honor our organization’s current and past leaders. District officials – past and present – featured in NACD’s Hall of Distinction have made major contributions to our nation’s Conservation Movement. Find more information on the Hall of Distinction and a full list of inductees on the Hall of Distinction webpage.
Awards Archive
Looking for past award winners? Find names and pictures of past award winners on the Awards Archive webpage.