NEWS RELEASE

NACD Announces 2026 Friends of NACD District Grant Recipients 

San Antonio, TX – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the 2026 recipients of the Friends of NACD District Grants Program during NACD’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.   

The Friends of NACD District Grants Program supports voluntary, locally led conservation education, youth development, and food security projects proposed by conservation districts across the NACD network. Now in its seventh year, the program is funded through donations individuals and organizations make to NACD. Since Fiscal Year 2020, Friends of NACD has awarded approximately $115,000 in grant funding to 47 districts across the country. This year, eight conservation districts will receive awards of up to $2,500 each to implement community-based projects.  

“Friends of NACD is excited to support projects with districts at the helm,” said District and Partner Relations Committee Chair Karl Jensen. “Thanks to generous donors and sponsors, these grants allow districts to implement innovative conservation practices, effective education efforts, and increased outreach that is custom-made for their community and its needs.” 

These grants are made possible by generous donations from Friends of NACD and the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation.  

The 2026 Friends of NACD District Grants Program recipients and their conservation projects are:  

Guam – Southern Guam Soil and Water Conservation District 
Restoring Resilience – A Community Invasive Species Project in Southern Guam 

This community-led project will maintain and restore the Dan Dan Greenbelt through invasive
removal, native replanting, and create educational tools to strengthen fire resilience and natural resource protection in Southern Guam. 

Louisiana – Rapides Soil and Water Conservation District
Project Greaux CenLA 

Through Project Greaux CenLA, the Rapides Soil and Water Conservation District will offer outreach workshops that teach container gardening, composting, organic pest control, and safe food storage, all while helping participants start their very first garden. 

Maine – Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District
Lamoine Beach Park Dune Restoration 

In partnership with Lamoine Parks Commission, the town of Lamoine, and its community, the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District is installing dunes that were previously removed for development purposes and vegetating them with native plants to stabilize the shoreline and create habitat. 

Maine – Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District
Nature-based Techniques for Shoreline Stabilization Demonstration 

The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District will partner with a local lake association to hold an on-site demonstration workshop for lake owners to learn about living shoreline restoration techniques through plantings and nature-based strategies. 

Michigan – Alger Conservation District 
Tree Sale Workshops and Conservation Speed Dating 

This project will bring more workshops to Alger Conservation District’s annual tree sale and launch a Conservation “Speed Dating” initiative, where district staff and partners will advise residents on how to manage their properties. 

Michigan – Allegan Conservation District
Ecological Treatment and Restoration Strike Team 

The Allegan Conservation District will establish a self-sustaining Ecological Treatment and Restoration Strike Team, who will engage a variety of landowners in building native plant communities at any scale by providing invasive species treatment and native plant establishment. 

Puerto Rico – Distrito Caribe de Conservación de Suelos y Agua  
A Tree in Your Life – Gabia Forest 

This project will restore one acre of forest through the planting of 225 native trees, engaging community volunteers and students in hands-on conservation, environmental education, and long-term stewardship of soil, water, and biodiversity resources in southern Puerto Rico. 

Washington – Kitsap Conservation District 
Planting Seeds, Harvesting Community  

The “Planting Seeds, Harvesting Community” project will engage community and food bank gardens with education and technical assistance on sustainable growing methods, support gardens donating to local food banks with plant starts, and build relationships to create a “community of community gardens.” 

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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.