National Conservation Partners Meet with
Under Secretary Northey
Leaders from the national conservation partnership met with newly sworn-in USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey in Washington, D.C., on March 19 in conjunction with NACD’s spring legislative fly-in.
Pictured here from left to right: NACD President Brent Van Dyke, Under Secretary Northey, National Association of State Conservation Agencies President Cindy Lair, National Conservation District Employees Association President Tim Riley and NACD President-elect Tim Palmer.
The partner leaders welcomed Under Secretary Northey to his position and briefed him on a range of topics including the importance of locally-led conservation, ongoing efforts by the conservation partnership at the federal, state and local level to respond to customer demand, and how the partnership can help provide the strongest possible customer experiences in the future.
The group also discussed current workforce shortages, encouraged NRCS hiring to get underway, and ways the conservation partnership can assist USDA to continue providing effective conservation planning assistance and program delivery.
Formerly a conservation district commissioner for the Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District in Iowa, Undersecretary Northey held one of his first public meetings with the conservation partnership in his new role at USDA.