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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2018

NACD FLY-IN UNITES
CONSERVATION LEADERS ON
CAPITOL HILL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) assembled on Capitol Hill alongside conservation leaders to advocate for locally-led conservation.

This year’s fly-in united 150 conservation district officials representing 27 states from across the country. Members met with their representatives to communicate the value of farm bill conservation programs and why funding for these programs and technical assistance is so crucial.

“Conservation must have a seat at the table,” NACD President Brent Van Dyke said. “With the farm bill at the forefront of everyone’s minds, our members hit the halls of Congress to rally support for voluntary, locally-led conservation. These folks are the boots on the ground, the workforce behind preserving our nation’s natural resources.”

Representative Frank Lucas, R-Okla., Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, and Ranking Member Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, spoke to NACD fly-in participants during the organization’s legislative breakfast. Both representatives spoke to the value of conservation programs and why it is important for lawmakers to hear from the folks who implement locally-led conservation every day.

“Locally-led, incentive-based conservation, that’s what it’s all about,” Chairman Lucas said. “It enables our farmers and ranchers to go back home and benefit the soil, air, water and society. My colleagues and I are working to deliver a farm bill that will continue to give our producers the ability to implement conservation practices through a voluntary, locally-led approach.”

“We applaud our nation’s leaders’ past commitment to conservation programs, and we encourage them to continue to be bold for conservation and sustainable agriculture,” Van Dyke said.

This afternoon, USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey will address the group at the organization’s congressional reception.

More information about the organization’s 2018 Farm Bill Requests can be found on NACD’s website. Additional resources from NACD’s Spring Fly-In event can be found here, and all photos will be available on Flickr.

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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.