NEWS RELEASE

NACD Thanks Chief Bettencourt for Her Service, Welcomes Colton Buckley as NRCS Chief    

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) expresses its gratitude to Aubrey Bettencourt upon her departure as Chief of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and congratulates Colton L. Buckley on his selection to lead the agency effective May 18, 2026.

During her tenure, Bettencourt championed a Farmer-First vision for NRCS and recentered the agency’s work around the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. Her leadership affirmed the importance of voluntary, locally led conservation, a key tenet of the partnership between NRCS and America’s nearly 3,000 conservation districts that are on the front lines of conservation delivery on working lands.

“NACD thanks Chief Bettencourt for her service and her commitment to voluntary, locally led conservation,” said NACD President Gary Blair. “We welcome Chief Buckley to this role and look forward to working alongside him and America’s conservation districts to support producers and advance conservation across the country.”

Buckley has been instrumental in advancing NRCS’ priorities since joining the agency last year as Chief of Staff before becoming Associate Chief. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Chief Buckley served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils, a key partner to NACD and conservation districts. Raised on his family’s cattle ranch outside Gatesville, Texas, he has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to stewarding America’s working lands.

America’s conservation districts play a vital role in the administration of NRCS conservation programs and stand ready to partner with Chief Buckley to advance voluntary, locally led, incentive-based conservation that works for producers and protects our natural resources.

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About the National Association of Conservation Districts
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state and territory associations and the 17,000 individuals who serve on their governing boards. For 90 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit: www.nacdnet.org.