NEWS RELEASE

NACD President Testifies Before Senate Agriculture Committee on Conservation  

Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Gary Blair provided testimony at the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing regarding “Perspectives from the Field, Part 4: Conservation.”  

“Getting funding to local communities to assist producers with conservation plans and implement beneficial practices remains a mutual priority,” said President Blair. “NACD’s historic partnership is a prime example of ‘Farmers First’—local leadership, local priorities, and local decision-making are at the heart of our conservation delivery system.”  

Producer demand for technical assistance and conservation programs is at an all-time high. In his testimony, President Blair emphasized the importance of maintaining adequate staffing levels in local offices. A lack of capacity can become a bottleneck in administering important financial assistance contracts to producers. He also emphasized the importance of conservation technical assistance in delivering important services to local communities across the country.  

“Voluntary, incentive-based, and locally led Farm Bill conservation programs have long been cost-effective tools for helping landowners improve the health and productivity of their lands,” said NACD CEO Jeremy Peters. “Financial assistance offered through conservation programs is an investment in our nation’s lands and benefits the local communities.”  

NACD’s top Farm Bill priority is to integrate Inflation Reduction Act investments into the Farm Bill conservation programs. Along with 120 conservation and agriculture groups, NACD recently requested $1.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2026 conservation operations funding, which also funds Conservation Technical Assistance nationwide.  

To see President Gary Blair’s full testimony, click here, and to see the full hearing click here. 

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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.