CONTACT: Stephanie Addison, NACD Communications Director
(202) 547-6223; stephanie-addison[at]nacdnet.org

CONTACT: Sara Kangas, NACD Communications Manager
(202) 547-6223; sara-kangas[at]nacdnet.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 4, 2019

NACD ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION IN
URBAN AG CONSERVATION GRANTS

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced $1 million in urban agriculture conservation funding for 20 conservation districts across 14 states.

NACD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have partnered since 2016, creating the Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative to increase technical capacity in developed or developing areas.

With this announcement, NACD and NRCS have awarded over $4 million to 81 conservation districts across 34 states.

“As Americans continue to move to urban areas, conservation districts are adapting to serve new landscapes,” NACD President Brent Van Dyke said. “A majority of conservation districts provide urban technical assistance, and as a result, are developing innovative and impactful solutions for urban agriculture.”

The projects funded in this third funding cycle will help urban farmers, community gardens, schools and other community partnerships implement conservation practices to support local food production and opportunities for education and stewardship.

“From farmland to a vacant lot – every acre counts in the conservation puzzle,” Van Dyke said. “Conservation districts are creating opportunities to assist landowners regardless of landscape, and these grants will help our folks better educate and engage communities to become more involved in the conservation movement.”

In Arizona, Winkelman Natural Resource Conservation District in Oracle will support hoop house construction and a nursery for native plants. The district will collect food waste from residents to support a vermicomposting program, using resulting vermicompost as a soil amendment at the Oracle Community Learning Garden. In addition, the district will develop a design and management plan for the garden to eliminate erosion, catch water, and demonstrate best irrigation practices.

Through their award, the Southern Rhode Island Conservation District will boost technical assistance to citizens in backyards and community green spaces in Westerly, R.I. Demonstration sites will be developed across the city to showcase conservation practices, with an accompanying educational video for each site linked to an interpretive walking app of downtown.

Read the other awardees’ project descriptions on NACD’s 2019 Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Recipients webpage.

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About the National Association of Conservation Districts:

The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state and territory associations, and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 70 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.