69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL

2. • NACD supports the 2014 Farm Bill’s
Conservation Title

3. “Take care of the land and the land will take care of you.”

4. • 1937 – President Roosevelt sends out model
conservation district law
• Brown Creek, N.C., becomes first conservation
district
• 1946 – NACD founded

5. Today:
• 3,000 conservation districts
• 17,000 elected or appointed
district officials
• 50‐plus state and territorial
associations
• Work closely with NRCS, other
nonprofits and corporate
sector

6. • Conservation requires operations to be
economically viable
• Flexibility to direct funding to local
priorities and concerns
• Program delivery tailored to the natural
resource needs in local areas

7. • NACD advocated tying compliance to federal
crop insurance
• Advocated for National sodsaver provision
– NACD considers the 6 Prairie Pothole states a
win for conservation and a good starting point

8. • NACD supported consolidation of Conservation
Title from 23 to 13 programs
• TA amendment giving authority to the
Secretary of USDA for more effective
implementation of conservation programs
• More focus on conservation outcomes for soil
health, cover crops, and pollinator habitats

9. • Regional Conservation Partnership Program
– RCPP promotes collaborative projects that
improve soil quality, water quality/quantity, and
wildlife habitat in a specific area
– Districts have always supported a collaborative,
locally‐led approach to getting conservation
implemented, RCPP falls right in line with this
approach

10. • Implementation process moving rapidly due to
a rigorous NRCS schedule
• NACD will continue to help districts utilize
Farm Bill programs, implement conservation
on the land and provide local‐level feedback to
NRCS during the rule‐making process