February 20, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

February 20, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. NACD Annual Meeting Spreads Energy, Enthusiasm
The energy was high at NACD’s 62nd Annual Meeting last week in Reno, Nevada. Over 1,000 conservation leaders from across the nation gathered at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino Resort for the conference, where much of the discussion centered on the conference theme “Conservation Beyond Boundaries.” General sessions and breakouts featured many traditional partners, as well as a number of new and emerging partners. Whether in a message from NRCS Chief Lancaster about the strong and established partnership between USDA NRCS and NACD or in remarks from Colonel James Seaton of the U.S. Marines about the potential for conservation districts to work with the military on natural resource challenges surrounding military installations, the theme was clear: Conservation districts and their partners are achieving great success on the ground and there is room for even more growth.

The NACD Board of Directors met before and during the conference, setting association policy, adapting national bylaws and electing NACD’s 2008 Officer Team. The association will be led this year by President John Redding of Monroe, Georgia; President Elect Steve Robinson of Marysville, Ohio; Second Vice President Bob Cordova of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Secretary/Treasurer Gene Schmidt of Hanna, Indiana.

Individuals and districts also received national recognition at the conference for their outstanding efforts in their respective communities. Information about national award winners can be found at http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/awards/.

In between general sessions and breakouts, attendees had the opportunity to attend partner meetings, visit with NACD’s Conservation Expo exhibitors, participate in a record-setting Live Auction and see Nevada’s natural resource challenges first-hand on state-hosted tours.

Additional conference news, photos and resources have been posted on the post-conference website at http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting.

Note from the Editor: Award winner Buzz Mattelin of Montana was incorrectly listed in last week’s newsletter as from Missouri. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

2. Larry Payne Recognized for Outstanding Service to Conservation Districts
A special friend to conservation districts was recognized during last week’s NACD Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada. Larry Payne is retiring from the U.S. Forest Service this month after 38 years of federal service, most recently as Director of Cooperative Forestry. Payne has been a valued partner and has always provided an open door to conservation district leaders and their ideas. NACD CEO Krysta Harden presented a plaque to Payne at the Tuesday General Session while NACD Forestry Resource Policy Group Chair Charles Holmes of Alabama spoke about Larry’s commitment to conservation and loyalty to districts.

Thanks again, Larry. We wish you the best!

3. Farm Bill Funding Debate Continues
While Congress observes President’s Day recess this week, House and Senate Agriculture leadership continue work on the 2008 Farm Bill. At issue have been differences in the final spending level each would like to see in a final bill. Last week, House Agriculture leadership offered a proposed framework to illustrate what a $6 billion increase in farm spending would look like. The Senate has maintained support for a $12.3 billion increase in spending. Negotiations are ongoing between the House and Senate and every option remains on the table. Looming over the debate in Congress is a Presidential veto threat for any bill that increases taxes to pay for increases in Farm Bill spending.

Leadership in Congress and the Administration remain optimistic that a compromise will be reached and are eager for a new farm bill by the March 15 deadline, when current farm policy will expire. NACD continues to work with negotiators to arrive at a final farm bill that maintains a strong commitment to the conservation of our nation’s natural resources.

4. Congress Conducts Hearings Regarding Funding Devoted to Wildfire
The House Committee on Appropriations Interior Subcommittee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted hearings last week on the President’s fiscal year 2009 funding proposals for the USDA Forest Service. Though budget was the theme of the hearings, increased wildfire suppression cost was a central topic in both hearings. The fiscal year 2009 budget proposes funding increases for wildfire suppression, cuts in hazardous fuels reduction and a 58 percent cut in State and Private Forestry. The offsets to increase funding for wildfire suppression are coming at the expense of State and Private Forestry—one of NACD's priority funding issues.

Senate testimony and webcasts are available at http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1674. Information on NACD’s position on State and Private Forestry, as well as other appropriations priorities, are available at http://www.nacdnet.org/policy/appropriations/fy09/.

5. Stewardship Materials Discount Deadline Nears
Time is running out to receive the early-bird discount on “Water is Life” Stewardship material orders from the NACD Marketplace. You still have 9 days left to receive a 10 percent discount on Stewardship orders of $150 or more. To receive your discount, use code NACD2-29-08 when you check out online. Orders can still be placed after February 29, 2008 but will not be eligible for a discount.

Be sure to place your Stewardship materials order early to take advantage of the discount and to ensure your materials are delivered in time for Stewardship Week, April 27 – May 4, 2008. Please keep in mind that in order to receive your Stewardship materials by April 18, 2008, you must place your order by March 18 if paying with a by check, or by April 1 if paying with a by credit card. NACD cannot guarantee delivery by April 18 for check or credit card orders placed after these dates.

Go to http://www.nacdstore.org/ to place your order today! Further details on order processing are also available at the same address. For more information on NACD’s Stewardship Program and the 2008 theme “Water is Life,” go to http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/.

6. 2008 Smallwood Conference Scholarships Available to Districts
Are you interested in attending the Smallwood 2008 and Bioenergy & Wood Products joint conference, but concerned about the cost? Are you a local official from a conservation district, RC&D Council or county? If you’ve answered yes to both of those questions, you are in luck. You are eligible for one of a limited number of scholarships of up to $1,000 to cover registration, travel and lodging expenses to the 2008 Smallwood and BioEnergy & Wood Products joint conference, which will be held May 13-15, 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin. Scholarship applications are available at http://www.forestprod.org/smallwood08scholarships.html.

7. Call for Papers: Short Rotation Crops International Conference
NACD is one of several sponsors involved in the upcoming Short Rotation Crops International Conference, scheduled for August 18-22, 2008 in Bloomington, Minnesota. The conference will provide an opportunity to integrate discussion of both agricultural and forest crops for the sustainable production of biofuels, bioenergy and bioproducts. Attendees will participate in a field tour and have the opportunity for pre-and post-conference tours of biomass research and development projects in the region. For more information or to register, please see http://www.cinram.umn.edu/srwc/. The deadline for submitting abstracts of papers and posters is April 4, 2008.

8. NACD Calendar of Events
July 18-23, 2008, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
Aug. 3-5, 2008, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH

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