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ConservationDistricts:Locally-LedConservation
CBEAR MAAPOctober 13, 2017
Shepherdstown, WV
OriginsofConservationDistricts
• EnablingLegislation– February1937,PresidentRooseveltissuedmodelSoilConservationDistrictLawforconsiderationbyeachofthestates
– Modelenablingactwassenttostategovernors,suggestingthatfarmersandranchersbegrantedauthoritytoestablishdistrictstoconservesoilandwaterresources
– Twenty-twostatespassedenablinglegislationwithinthesameyear.
• EnablingLegislation– Allstateshaveenactedlegislationbasedonthismodel– Provideamechanismforcreatingconservationdistrictstoconservesoil,water,andrelatedresources
– Eachdistrictisgovernedbyalocallyelectedorappointedboardofofficials,usuallycalleddirectors,commissioners,orsupervisors
– Althoughdistrictboundariesgenerallycoincidewithcountyboundaries,therearedistrictsthatcovermorethanonecountyorwatershedboundaries
OriginsofConservationDistricts
• Becausestatesadoptedbothconsistentanduniquetermsintheirenablinglegislation:– Levelofconsistencyinauthorizedtermsandconservationdeliveryfunctions
– Variabilityinactivities,programs,andfundingsourcesacrosstheU.S.
– Somedistrictsaremorereliantontraditionalfundingsources(i.e.federal,state,localagencybudgets)
– Othersfundthroughuserfees,levies,orotherself-fundingmechanisms.
OriginsofConservationDistricts
StartedwithConservationDistricts• 1946- NACDwasfounded
byconservationdistricts• Conservationdecisions
shouldbemadeatthelocallevelbylocalpeoplewhohavethebestunderstandingofresourceneeds.
NACD: Who We Are
NACD’smissionisto promotethewiseandresponsibleuseofnaturalresourcesforalllandsbyrepresentinglocally-ledconservationdistrictsandtheirassociationsthroughgrassrootsadvocacy,education,andpartnerships.
Who We Are
•Guidedandgovernedby:• Localleadersfrom58statesandU.S.territories• Representingnearly3,000conservationdistricts,
stateandterritoryassociations• Morethan17,000publicofficials
Who We Are
WhatWeDo• ConservationAdvocacyandFunding• BuildsandmaintainsstrongrelationshipswithCongressandfederalagencypartners
• Advocateforstrongconservationprograms,appropriations,andpolicies
• Promotelocally-ledconservationdistricts
• Partnerships• CorePartners(USDA-NRCS,NASCA,NARC&D,NCDEA,NACD)
• Federal,stateandlocalpartnersandlike-mindedorganizationssuchasCBEAR
NACDProgramsSoilHealthChampions• 170+,peertopeernetworkofchampionsin42states• Distributionofresearch,economicsandbestpractices• Recentlydistributedsoilhealtheconomiccasestudies
demonstratingincreasedeconomicperformance
NACDProgramsUrbanAgricultureConservationInitiative• Totalof$3millioningrantsovertwoyearsto61conservation
districtsin30states• Improvingtechnicalassistanceandknowledgeofsoiland
waterconservationpracticesinurbansettings
OpportunitiesforBehavioralEconomics
• NACDrepresentsnetworkof3,000conservationdistrictsacrossthecountry
• Conservationdistrictshavecommonmissionsineverystateandterritory
• Trustedlocalleaders• Opportunitiestopilotvarietyofadministrativeandfieldexperimentsatnational,stateandlocallevel
