National Association of Conservation Districts

Landcare and Conservation Districts

What is landcare?
Landcare is people working together to take care of the land.

Successful landcare initiatives provide a range of economic, environmental, and social benefits (the triple bottom-line) for landowners, local communities and the global society. The key to successful landcare projects, and the movement as a whole, is cooperation and partnership among multiple stakeholders at multiple scales. Landcare takes place in urban, suburban, rural and wilderness areas—in forests and on farms, in backyards and on city streets, in parks and throughout watersheds—all places where people live, work, and play.

To learn more about landcare efforts in the United States, go to www.landcarecentral.org.

How is NACD involved with landcare?
The National Association of Conservation Districts has actively participated in national and international efforts to advance the landcare concept. We have participated in national and international conferences and workshops and provided information on these activities to our member conservation districts through over the last decade.

NACD has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Regional Councils and the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils to help provide a national forum for the advancement of landcare efforts. Click here to view the full text of the MOU.

If you have any questions regarding NACD’s involvement with landcare, contact Rich Duesterhaus, NACD Senior Advisor and Northeast Region Representative.

What can conservation districts do and why is it important?
In many cases conservation districts are already involved with a landcare effort. One specific example is included on the landcare central website linked above. Several Virginia conservation districts have participated in landcare groups in their communities, providing technical support and serving as fiscal agents for specific projects.

Districts can use the processes perfected in landcare projects regardless of whether their projects are labeled landcare. Most districts throughout the nation approach natural resource conservation with local input and decision making. They also consider the social, economic and environmental elements of projects and activities within their communities, which is what landcare is all about. These ideas are important because they help districts be more successful in achieving their resource management goals. These activities are also important because they involve the citizens who are affected and the citizens who live in the communities where action can be taken.

Landcare Resources:
NACD and Landcare Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) - In an effort to help provide a national forum for the advancement of landcare efforts, NACD entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Regional Councils and the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils. Click here to download the full text of the MOU.

Landcare Central Website - The Landcare Central Website offers information about Landcare activities, resources, partnership, enterprises and more. Click here to learn more about Landcare.