NEWS RELEASE

Coalition Advocates for Conservation Funding in FY26 Appropriations  

Washington, D.C. – Last week, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) submitted a letter to the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging robust support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Conservation Operations account.  

With the support of over 120 conservation and agriculture groups, NACD requested $1.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2026 Conservation Operations funding and urged Congress to reject any changes in mandatory spending for Farm Bill conservation programs. Conservation Operations funds Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) nationwide. It also funds important programs like soil surveys, snow surveys, water supply forecasting, and plant material centers.  

“With 60% of our nation’s lands in private ownership, our ability to achieve landscape-scale conservation goals requires the voluntary cooperation of the millions of farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards who manage these lands every day,” said NACD President Gary Blair. “CTA provides for important technical assistance, helping producers plan and implement conservation practices that increase the health and productivity of their lands even if they do not receive a Farm Bill contract.” 

“CTA is the backbone of voluntary, locally led conservation efforts across the country. Elimination or major reductions to this account would be devastating to on-the-ground conservation,” said NACD CEO Jeremy Peters. “At a time when producers are facing extreme challenges from the farm economy and weather impacts, conservation helps them increase the resilience of their lands and has economic benefits.”  

In its letter to Congress, NACD emphasized the rising demand for conservation and technical assistance nationwide. Strong funding for Conservation Operations is more important than ever as NRCS and conservation districts work to maintain the network of trust and technical support that producers nationwide rely on.  

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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 more than 80 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.