The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced today the award of $17.5 million in Outreach and Technical Assistance grants to 161 conservation districts in 45 states and territories.
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the NACD Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant Program advances the adoption of conservation practices by increasing the capacity of conservation districts across the country to provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards. This assistance includes developing conservation plans, designing conservation practices, enrolling producers in conservation programs, and supporting practice implementation.
“This program has been a game changer as producer demand for conservation technical and financial assistance continues to grow,” said NACD President Gary Blair. “Conservation districts across the country help their local NRCS partners meet critical staffing needs and expand outreach to producers, getting more conservation on the ground. We are proud to continue this successful partnership.”
This impactful program provides NRCS and conservation districts with greater capacity to respond to strong producer demand for voluntary, locally led conservation. The program has benefited 56 states and territories and helped enroll over 107,750 producers in NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) since 2018. Conservation practices designed through the program have benefited over 6.75 million acres of working lands, improving soil health, water quality, and habitat for enhanced resilience, productivity, and profit.
Learn more about the local impact of the NACD Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant Program through stories posted to NACD’s blog.
See the full list of grantees in NACD’s newsroom.
