April 29, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

April 29, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. Conservation Districts Celebrate Stewardship Week
Last Sunday, April 27, marked the beginning of 2008 Stewardship Week, themed “Water is Life.” The celebration will run through next Sunday, May 4. NACD has been observing Stewardship Week for more than 50 years. This week highlights the year-round mission of NACD and conservation districts across the country: to work in communities, schools and churches to educate our nation about stewardship of the land.

Districts are an important ingredient in the nation’s concern to help the earth. Be sure to let your community know of the work your district has been doing for many decades and how your district has helped make your community a better place. Stewardship Week is an opportunity to showcase the efforts of your conservation district.

NACD wants to know about your activities, too. Click here and fill out a short survey about your own stewardship outreach efforts. Send photos with short captions to stewardship@nacdnet.org. Survey results will be gathered and shared on NACD’s website. Check back on the NACD website in June for Stewardship Success Stories and get ideas for next year’s Stewardship outreach activities. Additional water education ideas are available at http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/2008/.

It’s never too early to start planning for 2009 Stewardship! NACD plans to have all of the products in the NACD online marketplace by the middle of August, so make a note to get your soils education materials order in early this year. Water is Life bookmarks are also still available at NACD’s online store (www.nacdstore.org) and are great as awards for participants of summer events like library summer reading programs.

2. Questions Surround Farm Bill Deal
On Friday, press accounts reported a “deal” on the Farm Bill; however, recent statements have raised questions on the scope of the deal and whether a formal agreement was reached last week. According to a Senate Agriculture Committee press release (http://agriculture.senate.gov/), Farm Bill conferees were scheduled to meet last night at 6 p.m. to review details of a potential deal. That meeting was postponed until 2:30 p.m. today.

This afternoon, Agriculture Secretary Schafer stated that the President would veto the Farm Bill if it remains in this form. Subsequently, today’s meeting of the Farm Bill conference has been postponed. Discussions continue behind closed doors.

General information on the Conservation Title remains the same, with an expected $4 billion increase in conservation spending. The details of the program revisions and other elements of the Farm Bill have not been disclosed. We will keep you posted with the latest developments.

3. FWS Extends Deadline for Submission of Sage Grouse Information
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced yesterday an official 30-day extension for the submission of information regarding the status of the greater sage grouse. FWS published their original notice in the Federal Register on February 26, 2008 to initiate a status review and collect new information on sage grouse as a threatened or endangered species.

The new deadline to submit information is now June 27, 2008. FWS encourages the public or other interested parties to submit any information on sage grouse across its range, which includes portions of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

NACD is currently working with western conservation districts and state associations to coordinate comments. For specific directions on how your organization or district can submit information to FWS, go to http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/E8-3374.html. To read the most recent FWS notice of the deadline extension, click here.

4. Registration Opens for Summer Legislative Conference
Registration is now open for NACD’s Legislative Conference, scheduled for July 20-23, 2008. Speaker confirmations are rolling in and energy is building for what promises to be an action-packed meeting. The conference, held on the tails of NACD’s Summer Board Meeting, provides conservationists a chance to delve into policy issues, meet with lawmakers, hear from agency leaders and more. Below are ten of many reasons to register for the conference:

10.	Network with other conservation leaders who share your commitment to the land.
9.	Welcome NACD’s Renovation Ride participants back to town after their grueling 5-day, 258 mile ride in support of NACD’s 509 Capitol Court Campaign. Donate today!
8.	Summer time is an excellent chance to load up the family and bring them to D.C. for days of sightseeing, learning and adventure.
7.	Participate in NACD’s 2nd annual Congressional Reception.
6.	Tour your national office and see first-hand the plans for renovation in August 2008.
5.	Schedule meetings with your members of Congress to convey local, state and national conservation priorities.
4.	Support your national association, and let it support you!
3.	Participate in the opening week of the Smithsonian’s “Dig It!” soils exhibit. NACD has arranged private tours for conference-goers, but reservations are required and are made on a first come-first served basis.
2.	Hear from agency and partner leaders on current issues and opportunities for conservation districts.
1.	Maintain your role as a conservation leader in your state by staying abreast of priority conservation policy issues.

Registration and additional information are available at http://www.nacdnet.org/events/legconference/. Be sure to check out the draft agenda and register today to secure your spot at the conference and on the tours!

5. Kentucky District Awarded Forest Service Funds for a Youth Program
The Forest Service awarded 16 grants last week to facilitate environmental education through outdoor experiences. The Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District in Kentucky was part of a team awarded one of these grants. The district, along with nine partner organizations, will use the funds to implement a program called “Connecting Urban Youth in Louisville to Nature.” This project will allow 200 fourth graders and their teachers to experience the outdoors through field trips, habitat restoration projects and professional development sessions.

The Forest Service created the More Kids in the Woods grant program to encourage environmental education by getting kids outdoors. This year’s 16 grant winners were chosen from 270 applications and received a total of half-million dollars in funding, which will top $2 million when combined with matching funds from partners. Partners in these projects represent schools, environmental and youth non-profit organizations, Native American Tribes, and other federal, state and local governments.

The other grant winning projects can be viewed on the Forest Service’s website at http://www.fs.fed.us/kidsclimatechange/kidsprojects.shtml.

6. Bureau of Land Management Revises NEPA Handbook
The Bureau of Land Management recently revised the handbook used by BLM managers and staff to implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The revised handbook provides updated instructions, procedures and examples to comply with NEPA direction. Of potential interest to conservation districts are important updates to guidance on cumulative effects, definition of issues requiring analysis, clarification of the meaning of “significant” and discussion of public involvement requirements. The handbook was last revised in 1988.

Click here to read the official BLM press release regarding the handbook revisions, or to view a copy of the revised NEPA handbook, click here.

7. NOAA Announces Update to Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Guidelines
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is accepting comments on the recently announced plans for updating guidelines for the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). CELCP was established in 2002 to protect coastal and estuarine lands and provides state and local governments with matching funds to purchase conservation easements on or acquire significant coastal and estuarine lands. Conservation districts that have experience with CELCP can provide comments or suggestions to NOAA for consideration in updating the CELCP guidelines.

Comments on the CELCP guidelines can be submitted until June 9, 2008. More information can be found on the NOAA website at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/celcp_indepth.html.

8. Save the Date for 2008 NAAEE Environmental Education Conference
Mark your calendars for North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)’s 37th Annual Conference, to be held October 15 – 18, 2008 in Wichita, Kan. The theme of the 2008 NAAEE conference is “Environmental Education on the Prairie: Pioneering New Strategies.”

NACD is part of the conservation education commission that is planning a pre-conference workshop to be held on October 15. The workshop will focus on how to conduct conservation outreach events. NACD will also set up a time for conservation district staff to gather while at the 2008 NAAEE conference. Additional conference strands include Conservation Education; Art, Culture and Environmental Education; Best Practices for Advancing Environmental Education; Early Childhood Education; Energy Education; Environmental Justice, Environmental Health, and Climate Change; Food, Agriculture and Environmental Education; and Religion, Spirituality and Environmental Education.

Registration opens June 2008! Learn more at http://www.naaee.org/conference. If you plan to attend or have conservation outreach events and ideas you would like to share, contact Susan Schultz at (317) 326-2952 or stewardship@nacdnet.org.

9. NACD Calendar of Events
May 14-17, 2008 Executive Directors' Conference, Saratoga, WY
June 8-10, NACD Northern Plains Region Leaders Meeting, Nebraska City, NE
July 18-23, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
August 3-5, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH
August 10-12, Southeast Region Meeting, Biloxi, MS
August 21-23, South Central Region Meeting, Hot Springs, AR

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