Conservation Clips are a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. If you have a relevant submission, please contact your NACD Communications Team.

Oklahoma Farm Report: Conservation Districts Take Firm Stand Against Cuts to Farm Bill Programs Proposed by White House
By Carson Horn
03/06/18

Aside from other issues that have cropped up during the early stages of the 2018 Farm Bill’s drafting, one certainly struck a chord with the members and leadership of the NACD. That, of course, being the significant cuts to conservation programs proposed by President Trump in his budget outline.

Agri-Pulse: Farm bill proposal would use USDA data to assess farm practices
By Philip Brasher
03/06/18

A new farm bill proposal could make it possible for farmers to know with some precision what impact cover crops, no-till farming and other conservation practices could have on their crop yields.

NPR: Grass Is Back In The Chesapeake, And Crabs Will Follow
By Dan Charles
03/05/18

This week, Orth and a dozen other scientists published results from years of monitoring seagrass in the Chesapeake. And the news is good. The area covered by beds of seagrass has expanded dramatically over the past 30 years.

Agri-Pulse: Perdue: Thrilled to finally have Bill Northey on board
By Delaney Howell
03/07/18

The Spirit Lake, Iowa, farmer heads to Washington this week to begin his role as the USDA’s Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service. But there will be some uncertainty about his title and responsibilities for a while.

Montrose Press: Shorter winter may impact Minn. fisheries, bring more toxic algae
By Cody Nelson
03/06/18

While shorter winters sparking earlier algae production could mean more nutrients cycling up the food chain to sport fish, it could also mean more of the toxic blue-green algae that has grown in prevalence across Minnesota.

The Fence Post: Roberts says he wants to mark up farm bill in April, doesn’t like tariffs
By Jerry Hagstrom
03/07/18

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said today he wants to mark up the next farm bill in April and that his staff and the staff of Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., are already sending bill language back and forth.

ABC News: EPA plan seeks cuts in pollution that causes Lake Erie algae
By John Flesher
03/07/18

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called for stepped-up efforts to reduce nutrient pollution that contributes to algae blooms in Lake Erie but recommended no new federal regulations to accomplish the task.

Agri-Pulse: CRP expansion set for fight in farm bill
By Philip Brasher
03/07/18

A battle is brewing over a proposed expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program as the House Agriculture Committee prepares to move its version of a new farm bill. The draft legislation would increase the limit on CRP enrollments from 24 million to 30 million acres, paid for in part by a new cap on payment rates.

NPR: Widespread Drought Across U.S. Stokes Fears About A Repeat Of 2012's Wrath
By Madelyn Beck
03/01/18

The worry also is widespread, considering the reach of this winter's drought is even worse than in 2012, a year that brought the worst drought in the U.S. since the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and cost farmers, ranchers and governments an estimated $30 billion.

The Fence Post: Heitkamp introduces legislation to include Native Americans in farm bill
By Jerry Hagstrom
03/05/18

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., introduced legislation to improve assistance for Native American communities. The Native Farm Bill Coalition, a group that has been advocating for inclusion of Native Americans in the farm bill for some time, has endorsed Heitkamp's legislation.

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