What's New Archive

Join this webinar on Wednesday, September 7th to learn about new research conducted by the US Geological Survey that looks at pollinator habitat design and function.  You'll learn about new research results that highlight improved pollinator habitat values.  This webinar will highlight the pollinator habitat designs features that produced increased pollinator species use and benefits.  Learn how to make 'every acre of pollinator habitat the best it can be'.

Register for free at:
September 7th at 10:00 am CST:        Webinar Registration - Zoom

September 7th at 7:00 pm CST:        Webinar Registration - Zoom

University of Wisconsin is going to host the Farm Succession Coordinator Certification Training this fall here in North Carolina. It will be a 2.5 day training in Shelby, NC, on Nov 7th through 9th. It is the prerequisite training needed to take the Farm Succession Coordinator Certification test. This would be a good training for any land trust staff who help farmers work through succession issues with conservation easements. To register visit this website

Pollinator projects empower corporate conservation teams to address global biodiversity issues through site-based action. Providing native pollinators with host and nectar plants is an important part of such conservation efforts, but the work doesn’t stop once milkweed and bee balm have taken root. From there, participants must regularly monitor the habitat. Tying these monitoring efforts to larger citizen science initiatives provides employees and community members with an opportunity to contribute data to large-scale efforts that track species distribution and movement.

Register

Grassland CRP signup opens from April 4, 2022 to May 13, 2022. Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program -- for General CRP before the March 11 deadline, and for Grassland CRP before the May 13 deadline.

Secretary Sonny Purdue announced on Nov. 12, 2020, the signup periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the CRP Grasslands in 2021. Signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and provide annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes. There will be a free webinar on January 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. MST. Register in advance for this meeting After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.  For more information, email Jeff Tranel or call 719-251-0990 

EarthX.org

Working Lands for Wildlife, Conservation Effects Assessment Project, UMT and UNL jointly hiring two research scientists
 
We seek two research scientists/postdoctoral scholars at the University of Montana and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in collaboration with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and their Conservation Effects Assessment Project. Individuals will study ecological and economic outcomes of conservation investments for sustaining western rangelands. Unique opportunities exist to inform on-the-ground conservation, to utilize innovative technologies that address interdisciplinary challenges, and to join a multi-institutional network of scientists working with diverse partners.

This multi-institutional partnership offers unique advantages for highly motivated individuals:

• Immediate impact with a team of applied scientists who for a decade have helped inform millions of acres of on-the-ground conservation through the NRCS-led Working Lands for Wildlife.
• Leverage technological innovations that address the most pressing needs of rangeland conservation across unprecedented spatio-temporal scales
• Membership in the new Center for Resilience in Working Agricultural Landscapes at UNL and the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) science team at UMT

Email questions to Brady Allred (brady.allred@umontana.edu) and Dirac Twidwell (dirac.twidwell@unl.edu).

Applications due December 1, 2019

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today it is seeking public input on its existing national conservation practice standards as part of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill. NRCS offers 150-plus conservation practices to America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to help them meet their business and natural resource needs on their working lands. NRCS is requesting public comments on how to improve conservation practice standards that support programs. The comment period ends April 25, 2019.  Learn More »

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space), a special district of the County dedicated to protecting our working and natural lands forever, has acquired a conservation easement covering 1,600 acres of forest land owned by Rip Goelet along the South Fork Gualala River in northwest Sonoma County. Read more here.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) announced the availability of up to $155 million for Fire Prevention and Forest Health projects. CAL FIRE is soliciting applications for projects that will help prevent catastrophic wildfires and restore forest health while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 
Official Call for Applications:

• Forest Health Program: The call for applications opened October 1 and will be due by 3:00 PM on January 29, 2019. Public workshops will be held throughout California starting October 2.
• Fire Prevention Program: The call for applications will open on October 17, 2018 and will be due by 3:00 PM on December 19, 2018. 

Participate to learn about the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) - a free, online tool that helps landowners and natural resource managers track vegetation through time and plan actions to improve America's grazing lands. 

When: Sep 25, 2018 12:00 pm US/Eastern
Length: one hour
Pre-registration not required.

The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) is a free, online tool that helps landowners and natural resource managers track vegetation through time and plan actions to improve America's grazing lands. The RAP can be used to provide strategies to improve productivity of grazing lands, manage weeds, mitigate impacts of wildfire and drought, and benefit wildlife habitats. Learn more abouth the tool here.

This webinar is presented by USDA NRCS Science and Technology. Contact Candy Thomas, Science & Technology Training Library content manager, for more information about this webinar.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California, in partnership with DOI's Bureau of Reclamation, is providing funds to improve the efficiency of agricultural water use in portions of six water/irrigation districts in California. This partnership combines on-farm conservation enhancements, through NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with water-supply infrastructure upgrades, funded through Reclamation's WaterSmart program. Funding decisions for these on-farm conservation improvements will be made on June 22 and July 27, 2018. Learn more here.

One year after Gov. Jerry Brown called off the state’s historic drought emergency, area farmers are still finding innovative ways to continue conserving water. In one district, farmers are using a system known as drip tape irrigation, which has helped save millions of gallons of water. Learn more here.

“Our family is very happy to work with [the Marin County Open Space District] and [the Marin Agricultural Land Trust] on re-establishing agriculture and maintaining the scenic corridor of the ranch. We believe this is a huge community benefit, and one of our goals is to keep agriculture on the ranch for a very long time,” said the Hetfields. Learn more here.

The Marin Agricultural Land Trust edged closer to its goal of protecting 100,000 acres by 2040 when the Board of Supervisors last week approved close to $1.9 million in Measure A funds toward the purchase of a conservation easement on the 705-acre Taylor Ranch. The $3.59 million deal, which will close in early March, will connect 9,000 acres of protected farmland land between Marshall and Point Reyes Station. Read more here.

The deadline for the FY2018 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is quickly approaching. The conservation tool helps landowners and partners engage in long-term protection of California's farmland, wetlands and grasslands. The application deadline for ACEP is Jan. 19, 2018.  Learn more here. 

As the world tries to combat climate change, interest in Solar energy is on the rise, but arrays of photovoltaic panels take up a lot of space and can compete for prime food-producing land. Now researchers, have found plenty of places to install solar devices without taking up arable land, while generating enough power to help regions meet their energy goals. Learn more here.

Conservation benefits for California through the federal Farm Bill’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), totaled more than $84 million in fiscal year 2017. The largest investments were in air quality, water conservation and water quality and forest-related conservation for both proactive and post-fire assistance. Learn more here.

The land has been in the family for six generations and is a noted habitat for the California condor, red-legged frog and tule elk. Read on here.

DAVIS, Calif., Aug. 10, 2017 - In 2017 farmers with rare Tricolored Blackbirds nesting in their fields have again aided the birds' survival...During the 2017 nesting season, the partnership protected five colonies on dairy farms, totaling nearly 75,000 birds, in Kern, Merced and Tularecounties. Read on here.

?Sat. Sept. 16, 2017 4 pm - 9 pm: Join Bear Yuba Land Trust for an end-of-summer Gala to be held at one of the most spectacular permanently protected agricultural lands in Nevada County, Linden Lea Ranch. Learn more and get tickets here.

When: Thursday June 29th, 3pm-6pm (dinner to follow)

Where: Calhoun Ranch & Party Barn, 12461 Mines Road, Livermore, CA

Learn more here.

This in-depth course is being offered in California as part of Holistic Management International’s Whole Farm/Ranch Land Management Series. This course was designed to help you regenerate your land for better soil health, bio-diversity, productivity and profitability through the practice of Holistic Management. Learn more and register here.

9-5 each day: March 24-25, April 7-8 and April 28-29

The California Land Conservation Conference, held at the UC Davis Conference Center, is the largest annual gathering of land trusts, agencies, foundations, and conservation professionals in the state. Our three-day event consists of thought-provoking speakers, powerful networking opportunities, and unparalleled access to decision-makers in the conservation community. Register here.

The Ag Land Trust’s efforts to preserve Salinas Valley farm land extends all the way to Camp Roberts in south Monterey County.

The trust has acquired conservation easements for nearly 4,500 acres of ranch land around the historic Army base. This allows the 42,784-acre facility to operate as a California National Guard training base without encroachment from development. Read the article.

DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 21, 2016: USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service today announced $225 million in funding for 88 partnership projects nationwide. California captured funding for four projects—three completely within the state and one shared with Nevada. Funding comes through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, created in the 2014 Farm Bill. Learn more here.

The federal government and non-profit partners plan to spend another $360 million to spur states, landowners and developers to save the imperiled greater sage grouse across a Texas-sized area of sagebrush steppe spanning 11 Western states.

Read the full article here.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will steer more than $5 million to California agriculture and conservation programs as part of a $26.6-million naitonal campaign to bring innovation to the sector.

Learn more here.

In managed rangelands and agricultural areas, feral or wild pigs are a significant pest species. UCCE Livestock and Range Advisors and Wildlife Specialists need your help by filling out a short statewide survey on wild pig damage found here.

It should only take about 15 minutes to complete. Individual identities and survey responses will be kept confidential. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary.

In its second year, Cap-and-Trade funded Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program commits $37.4 million to shield agricultural land from development. Learn more here.

Critical habitat for wildlife has been reduced by drought, development and other pressures. Ann Hayden of the Environmental Defense Fund talks about radical incentives for landowners to help fill the void. Read the article here.

If you are a farmer wanting to be certified in USDA's Good Agricultural Practices program, you may be able to join with your fellow producers in your area in getting that certification. (Gary Crawford and Chuck Parrott) Listen to radio story or read article.