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Welcome to the 79th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Conservation Districts! 

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Venue: Salt Lake D clear filter
Sunday, February 9
 

8:30am MST

Natural Resources Committee Meeting
Sunday February 9, 2025 8:30am - 10:15am MST
Meeting of the Natural Resources Committee, comprised of NACD board members from the following 19 states, territories, and freely associated states: Alabama, Arizona, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Georgia, Guam, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Washington. Perimeter seating open to all.
Speakers
avatar for Candice Abinanti

Candice Abinanti

Director of Communications, NACD
Sunday February 9, 2025 8:30am - 10:15am MST
Salt Lake D
 
Monday, February 10
 

11:00am MST

Public Lands and Conservation
Monday February 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am MST
Access your public lands and talk to BLM!! NACD Public Lands Subcommittee would like to highlight and discuss the important relationship between districts and federal land management agencies. This program will provide insight into implementation of the Public Lands Rule and others, building partnership at a local level and the importance of local input and community involvement in major land use decisions.
Speakers
MH

Michael Henn

Sublette County Conservation District, WY
LW

Libby Wawro

National Association of Conservation Districts - Public Lands SC
Monday February 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am MST
Salt Lake D

2:30pm MST

Cultivating Today's Volunteer from the District
Monday February 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST
The session will dive into building and sustaining locally led volunteer efforts through meaningful and rewarding volunteer development and fostering personal satisfaction. 
Speakers
MW

Matt Ward

Hudson-Essex-Passaic Soil Conservation District
Monday February 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST
Salt Lake D

3:45pm MST

Approaches for Farmer Outreach and Engagement
Monday February 10, 2025 3:45pm - 5:00pm MST
Hear three exciting presentations during this session!
  1. Dairy Conservation Navigator: Simplifying Sustainability for Farms and Farm Advisors - Learn about and give feedback on Dairy Conservation Navigator, an online platform offering practical, credible insights to help farmers and advisors make informed sustainability decisions. It simplifies complex topics, providing clear information on the economic, management, and environmental impacts of various practices, making it a valuable resource for on-farm decision-making.
  2. Farmer Outreach Approaches for Reaching Beyond the Choir - Reaching farmers who are "beyond the choir" of those already engaged in conservation requires social science-based approaches. We will share three, interrelated outreach approaches to reaching segments of farmers who might be called the "moveable middle." The approaches facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning. Our evaluation data show these approaches help increase participating farmers' willingness to adopt practices. Learn insights to inform your farmer outreach!
  3. The Economic Case for Soil Health: Engaging Producers with Scientific Evidence and Real-World Case Studies - Need evidence on costs and benefits of soil health practices for crop and livestock producers? Learn about six 2-page research summaries and 20+ 2-page case studies from American Farmland Trust.
Speakers
JS

Jenny Seifert

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
CM

Chellie Maples

American Farmland Trust
Monday February 10, 2025 3:45pm - 5:00pm MST
Salt Lake D
 
Tuesday, February 11
 

9:00am MST

Agroforestry Breakout and Networking Session: Advancing Agroforestry Through Collaboration
Tuesday February 11, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am MST
Agroforestry professionals and conservation district leaders: this session is for you! Facilitated by the National Agroforestry Center, this interactive networking hour will spotlight the vital role of collaboration in advancing agroforestry practices. Hear inspiring success stories, exchange ideas on overcoming challenges, and explore thematic discussions ranging from climate resilience to integrating agroforestry into conservation planning. With opportunities to connect with the National Agroforestry Center and peers in agroforestry-focused districts, this session is designed to foster partnerships and equip you with new tools and resources. Let’s build a stronger agroforestry network—together.
Speakers
AM

Annica McGuirk

Forestry Program Manager, NACD
Tuesday February 11, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am MST
Salt Lake D

10:30am MST

Supporting Urban Ag & Overcoming Barriers to Equity in Conservation Delivery
Tuesday February 11, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm MST
Hear two exciting presentations during this session!
  1. Laying the Groundwork: Supporting Urban Ag Growth through ACCD's Urban Soils Program - Allegheny County Conservation District's Urban Soils Program has supported the growth of urban agriculture in Pittsburgh over the past 8 years. ACCD will review history of the Urban Soils Program's implementation and development, while sharing progress on the current expansion efforts to pilot soil health remediation on 2 urban farms, funded by NACD's 2024 Urban and Community Conservation Grant. 
  2. Overcoming Barriers to Equity in Delivering Conservation - NRCS and their partners have been making an extra effort to reach underserved producers. Through partnership agreements, we have built awareness and relationships to lead to increased engagement. This work has provided insights into the barriers that underserved producers are facing that can inform all conservation organizations in their work toward equity. The presentation will detail the barriers identified and steps to overcome barriers so conservation programs can be used by all producers. 
Speakers
HH

Hayly Hoch

Allegheny County Conservation District
Tuesday February 11, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm MST
Salt Lake D

1:30pm MST

Conservation Libraries: Unexpected Partnerships & Seed Libraries
Tuesday February 11, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MST
Hear two exciting presentations during this session!
  1. Creating Unexpected Partnerships - What does a public library, a yoga studio, and a local artist have in common with the LPNNRD? In this case, nature. During this session, we will discuss different events and subsequent partnerships that were forged to help connect people to the outdoors in unique ways. The partnerships we will talk about range from single day events to quarterly meet ups, and a permanent trail at one of our recreation areas. Join Sydney to learn more about what we've learned and where we're headed next! 
  2. What Your Seed Library Can Do For You - Seed libraries are a common approach for disbursing conservation education and, of course, free seeds! But how can a seed library do more? Join to learn about stacking messages and recruiting volunteers.  
Speakers
SA

Sydney Abbott

Lower Platte North Natural Resources District
AG

Abigail Greer

Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District
Tuesday February 11, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MST
Salt Lake D

2:45pm MST

Using Data to Connect Climate-Smart Opportunity with Action On-the-Ground
Tuesday February 11, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm MST
Climate-smart opportunities are available in historic numbers, but finding the right producers and matching them with the correct opportunity is challenging. National Pork Board, Ducks Unlimited, and Trust in Food share insights and tangible examples of how data can be used to better understand producers, adapt program design to their unique needs, and accelerate practice uptake. Learn how this methodology can be applied to conservation uptake in your community.
Speakers
BG

Billy Gascoigne

Director of Agricultural Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships, Ducks Unlimited
RB

Rebecca Bartels

Trust In Food
Tuesday February 11, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm MST
Salt Lake D

4:00pm MST

Innovative Resources for Effective Outreach & Reaching Underserved Communities
Tuesday February 11, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Hear two exciting presentations during this session!
  1. "Supporting Staff in Districts: Harnessing Resources for Effective Conservation Outreach" - District staff are crucial for community outreach and conservation efforts. Clare Lindahl, CEO of SWCS, will discuss how we can support conservation professionals using three new resources, including the 2024 Conservation Practitioner Poll and the Conservation Professionals' Guide to Inclusive Conservation Delivery. She'll highlight barriers conservation staff face, motivating opportunities, and how Districts and partners can enhance outreach and foster stronger partnerships for conservation.  
  2. New and Innovative Partnerships Reaching Communities Previously Unrecognized or Challenged in our Engagement Efforts - As a contributor to the goals in our Annual Meeting this has been being developed along with NACD staff and Board members since the Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico. Friendships that happen in Agriculture are "organic" by nature. Our combined struggles become natural and the magic happens. Conservation and our abilities to find the answers is what takes place during our coming together in this shared convening, providing answers to our challenges and how to employ newly developed strategies.   
Speakers
avatar for Debbie Hughes

Debbie Hughes

Executive Director, New Mexico Association of Conservation Distruct
NMACD Executive Director for 30 years.
CL

Clare Lindahl

Soil and Water Conservation Society
EP

Eugene Pickett

Latino Farmers and Ranchers International, Black Farmers and Ranchers New Mexico Global
Tuesday February 11, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Salt Lake D
 
Wednesday, February 12
 

9:00am MST

Improve Awareness and Increase Event Attendance with Social Media Marketing
Wednesday February 12, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am MST
Learn how Kansas Association of Conservation Districts increased local event attendance and cost share application with social media ads. A portal on KACD website was added for district resources.
Speakers
LM

Laura Munsch

Marketing Angle, LLC
Wednesday February 12, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am MST
Salt Lake D
 
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