August 4, 2009
Northeast Region Renews Partnership Agreement The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts hosted the Northeast Region meeting last week at Solomons Island, MD, where a renewed regional partnership agreement was signed by representatives of NACD, the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the two RC&D regional associations in the Northeast. The combined regional and state meeting agenda focused on climate change, the Chesapeake Bay program, Farm Bill conservation programs, partner activities and more. The full agenda is available on NACD's website.
In addition, biennial elections were held during the NACD Northeast Region Board meeting. Cliff Lundin, Chairman of the Sussex County Soil Conservation District and Chair of NACD’s Natural Resources Policy Committee, was reelected to the NACD Executive Board. Pat Sueck, of the York Country Conservation District, and Lee McDaniel, President of the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, were elected to serve as Regional Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. A Resources Conservation Act (RCA) listening session also was held in conjunction with the regional meeting. Further information on the RCA is available on the NACD website at http://nacdnet.org/events/rca/. National Awards for Conservation: Nominations Now Open The NACD Awards Season is upon us, and nominations are now being accepted for the Distinguished Service, Friend of Conservation and conservation equipment usage awards. Each year, NACD uses the awards program to highlight and promote the many successes of natural resources conservation, and to recognize an individual within the association and an individual, organization or agency outside the association. NACD again has partnered with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers to present two awards recognizing districts’ use of conservation equipment. Award winners will be honored at the NACD Annual Meeting in Orlando on February 2, 2010. Nominations are due by September 30, 2009, so visit the NACD website to nominate your conservation winners today! Senate Works to Complete Agriculture Bill This week, the House of Representatives begins their month-long summer recess period while the Senate completes remaining work on its agenda. The Senate is expected to recess beginning August 7.
At the forefront of the Senate’s work is the fiscal year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The bill includes substantial funding increases for conservation technical assistance, as well as maintains full funding for Farm Bill conservation programs with the exception of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program which remains $250 million below authorized levels. Congressional leadership has expressed support of passing appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year September 30.
NACD remains engaged with Congress as it works to finalize FY10 spending bills. More information on NACD’s FY10 priorities is available on NACD's website. USDA Announces $58 Million in AWEP Awards The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced awards totaling $58 million to improve water quality and quantity. Delivered through the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP), the funds will provide landowners the opportunity to improve and conserve water on agricultural working lands. Conservation districts and state associations in California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming have approved project proposals. Many of these approved projects received a portion of the $58 million in funding for FY09. Future funding will be determined by performance and funding availability.
The AWEP program was created in the 2008 Farm Bill and utilizes funding under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), so landowners utilizing the program must meet EQIP eligibility requirements. More information on AWEP and a complete list of awards is available on the NRCS website.
NACD Represented at Green Infrastructure Meeting NACD’s Natural Resources Policy Support Specialist Debra Bogar recently participated in a Green Infrastructure Community of Practice (CoP) meeting that focused on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants and projects, and how they can be used to support green infrastructure efforts. The CoP is a network of organizations and agencies that are actively involved in promoting the green infrastructure approach to strategic conservation. The CoP aims to foster information exchange, increase partnerships and streamline projects. The group meets quarterly in Washington, D.C., and provides for long distance participation through teleconferencing. The July 30 meeting featured speakers from the USDA Sustainable Development Office, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the EPA Office of Wastewater Management and more. FWS Begins Review of Northern Leopard Frog Status The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has responded to a petition to list the western population of northern leopard frog as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The FWS is conducting a status review, accepting comments and information including conservation efforts and threats for the species and its habitat. The western population ranges over a geographic area including all of the Western states, as well as Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin in the Plains and Upper Midwest. Comments are due August 31, 2009. The Federal Register notice and instructions for comment are available online. Woody Biomass Program Highlighted in Forestry Notes The recently released August 2009 issue of Forestry Notes highlights the successful efforts of BURN-UP (the Biomass Utilization and Restoration Network for the Upper Peninsula), a coalition that aims to stimulate the development of a sustainable woody biomass industry in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The project recently earned BURN-UP NRCS’s Two Chiefs’ Partnership Award, which recognizes outstanding partnerships in forest conservation work. Click here to read this article and more in the latest issue of Forestry Notes. Help NACD Spread the Word Every week, your association works to get the word out about the latest achievements in natural resources conservation, including our important agency partnerships, developments on Capitol Hill and news from the field. Help us spread the word: add your district leaders to the subscription list for eNotes and The Resource, or print out copies of eNotes to distribute to your co-workers. Thank you for helping us spread the word about the important work we all do on behalf of conservation! |
