Nevada Association of Conservation Districts

Making Our Voice Heard

Preparation

(“So! Planning on roaming the neighborhood with some of your buddies today?”)

What is a Conservation District?

• Founded in 1937 during the Dust Bowl

• With a philosophy that conservation decisions should be made at the local level

• Focusing on voluntary, incentive-based actions.

What is a Conservation District?

• Governmental entities, much like school boards, directed by locally elected Supervisors

• Authority comes from NRS 548

• A vital link to connect private and public land interests in Nevada; they encompass all of Nevada

Nevada?

NRS 548.105

It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative determination, that

persons in local communities are best able to provide basic

leadership and direction for the planning and

accomplishment of the conservation and development of

renewable natural resources through organization and operation of

conservation districts.

CD Organizations

• State Conservation Commission (SCC)• Appointed by the Governor to guide and regulate Nevada’s 28 CDs• Nominated by Nevada Association of Conservation Districts

• Conservation District Program in Nevada DCNR• Supports the SCC and Nevada’s CDs

• National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)• Represents America’s 3000 CDs in DC; training and education

• Nevada Association of Conservation Districts (NvACD)• Statewide network, voice and advocacy for CDs• Provides forums to train and educate Supervisors and recognize outstanding

District individuals and programs

Nevada Farm Bureau supports Locally Led

• Action Plan on Federally-Managed Lands: 211

• Coordinated Planning: 222

• County Resource Plans: 223

• Elk Management Plans: 224

• Endangered Species: 225

• Planning for Federally-Managed Lands: 239

Resource Needs Assessments

Locally Led Conservation

Resource Needs Assessments Version 1 – August 2018

A Guide for Conservation Districts

• Agreements

• Seven CDs

• Survey

• Guide

“Nature abhorred a vacuum.” “Here comes a border collie!”

NCCN Core Beliefs

• Natural resources and human communities are

interdependent

• Community-based, locally led conservation is the

keystone to working landscapes and sustainable

communities

Letter to NCCN

Natural Resources Conservation Service & NvACD

Nevada Association of Conservation Districts Annual MeetingNovember 13, 2018

LWGs CDs, LWGs and STAC –

NOT JUST ANOTHER

MEETING!

(Conservation Districts, Local

Work Groups, State Technical

Advisory Committee)

THE PUZZLE THAT IS NEVADA

Conservation Districts:

CDs ARE IMPORTANT TO NEVADA!

• hold the key to locally led conservation for Nevada

• have the authority by state statute

• are an integral part of the NRCS planning system

Conservation Districts as part of State Statute

Nevada Revised Statute 548 - Conservation

NRS 548.340 A soil conservation district organized under the provisions of this

chapter shall constitute a governmental subdivision of this state and a public body

corporate and politic, exercising public powers.

NRS 548.375 Comprehensive plans for conservation. In addition to other powers

granted in this chapter, a district and the supervisors thereof shall have the power:

1. To develop comprehensive plans for the conservation of renewable natural

resources within the district, which plans shall specify in such detail as may be possible

the acts, procedures, performances, and avoidances which are necessary or desirable

for the effectuation of such plans, including the specification of engineering operations,

methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, cropping programs, tillage practices,

and changes in the use of land; and

2. To publish such plans and information and bring them to the attention of

occupiers of lands within the district.

• Begins with the community itself, working through the local

conservation district.

• Based on the principle that community stakeholders are best

suited to deal with local resource problems.

• Natural resource driven, not Program driven

• Voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-based approach

Locally Led

conservation

Nevada Sage grouse LAWGs

Current sage grouse Local Area Work Groups or LAWGs operating in Nevada:

• North Central LAWG

• Bi-State LAWG

• Lincoln LAWG

• Buffalo Skedaddle LAWG

• Northeast Nevada Stewardship Group (Sage grouse pod = Elko LAWG)

• Vya LAWG

• S.A.N.E. – Stewardship Alliance of Northeast Elko

These LAWGs grew out of Governor Kenny Guinn’s task force in 2000 to develop a

plan that would conserve and protect Nevada’s sage grouse and their habitat. This

document laid the groundwork for the formation of Local Area Working Groups and

provided them with a roadmap for developing conservation plans.

Conservation District

State Technical Advisory

Committee

Local Work Group

Resource

Needs

Assessment

Update on Resource Needs Assessment

Purpose

• Identify resource concerns within the CD

• Identify potential solutions to those concerns

• Provide foundation for CD conservation efforts

Initial seven CDs conducting RNAs

• Lincoln County, Northeast Elko, Eureka, White Pine, Mason

Valley, Smith Valley, Conservation District of Southern Nevada

• NvACD developed the Locally Led Conservation Guide

o Available at www.nvacd.org

• Funded by an Agreement between NRCS-NV and NvACD

• Completion of first Agreement by November 30, 2019

NRCS Resource Concerns Checklist – SWAPA + H/E

• Soil Erosion• Sheet, rill, wind, concentrated

flow, excessive bank erosion

• Soil Quality Degradation• Subsidence, compaction, organic

matter depletion, concentration of salts or other chemicals

• Excess Water• Ponding, flooding, seasonal high

water table, seeps, drifted snow

• Insufficient Water• Inefficient moisture mgt. or use of

irrigation water

• Inefficient Energy Use

• Water Quality Degradation• Pesticides, excess nutrients or

pathogens, salts, sediments etc.

• Degraded Plant Condition• Inadequate structure and

composition, undesirable productivity and health, wildfire, excessive biomass accumulation

• Inadequate Habitat for Fish and Wildlife

• Livestock Production Limitation• Inadequate feed, forage, shelter,

water,

• Air Quality Impacts

Resource Needs Assessment, cont.

Three Contractors hired

• One assigned to each of the seven CDs

• Funded by National Association of Conservation

Districts / NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance Grant

• Utilizing NRCS farm planning procedures of the

Resource Concerns Checklist and analysis through

Conservation Practices Physical Effects matrix (CPPE)

Questions to answer during review of the Resource Concerns Checklist categories:

• Is this or is this not a resource concern?

• Where is it?

• How big is the affected area?

• What are the likely causes creating or

aggravating the concern?

• Does this concern need more detailed

investigation as to causes, or data, or potential

effect?

RNA Report compiles:

• resource concerns

• possible conservation practices

• prioritization

• Where within the CD boundary to concentrate

• Any further research or focus needed

KEY IMPORTANCE:

Resource concerns BEFORE

human element

= Most appropriate outcome

RNA Survey

Survey

• Developed by UNCE and UNR

• To increase the amount of public input

• Funded by UNCE, USFWS Partners Program and NDOW

• Available this winter

Resource Needs Assessment, cont.

Goals / Expectations• Increase effectiveness of the CD-led LWGs and the STAC

• The seven CDs will activate/energize their LWG and STAC

• Understanding that the CD-LWG-STAC connection is bigger than NRCS and of benefit to all groups and agencies and individuals working in an area

Summary• CDs are not a land use planning agency, but a CD is responsible for knowing the resource concerns in their area, identifying possible solutions and initiating programs, positions or policy to address them at a local level.

LOCAL WORK GROUPS

Local Work Groups were established to provide recommendations to

NRCS on local natural resource priorities and criteria for conservation

activities and programs.

The local work group also supports the locally led conservation effort by

coordinating USDA programs with other federal, state, tribal, and local

conservation programs to provide an integrated solution to addressing

natural resource concerns.

What is the role of the Conservation District?

It is the responsibility of the conservation district to:

• Develop the conservation (resource) needs assessment as

outlined in the NRCS Conservation Programs Manual (440-CPM,

Part 500, Subpart A).

• Convene and lead the local work group meetings.

• Transmit recommendations to the NRCS State Technical Advisory

Committee.

• People interested in agriculture and conservation,

including farmers, ranchers, industry

representatives, government officials, Tribal

members and state and federal agencies staff at

the local level.

Who is the LOCAL WORK GROUP?

It’s not just for NRCS funding and feedback, it’s a place for understanding and

responding to local needs.

• Conditions of the natural resources and environment

• The local application process, including ranking criteria and application periods

• Identifying the educational and training needs of producers

• Cost-share rates and payment levels and methods of payment

• Eligible conservation practices

• Public outreach and information efforts

• Program performance indicators

• Act as representatives to serve on a multi-state committee(s), as needed

But wait, there’s MORE . . . .

What is the purpose of a local work group?

What kind of

recommendations can be

made by LWGs and to whom?

What do we do with the recommendations?

• Work across ownership boundaries

• Leverage other non-NRCS dollars

What is the State Technical Advisory Committee?

Established by the 1985 Food Security Act, State Technical

Advisory Committees provide recommendations to NRCS to

carry out the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill.

Although STACs have no implementation or enforcement

authority, their recommendations are given strong

consideration by USDA.

State Technical

Advisory Committee

membership

Each STAC will be composed of agricultural producers,

owners and operators of nonindustrial private forest land,

and other professionals and agencies who represent a variety

of interests and disciplines in the soil, water, wetlands, plant,

and wildlife sciences at a state level.

What are the responsibilities of the State

Technical Advisory Committee?

• Review activities of the local working groups to ensure

State priorities are being addressed locally.

• Make recommendations to the State Conservationist on

requests and recommendations from local working

groups.

• Assist NRCS with public outreach and information

efforts and identify educational and producers’ training

needs.

Conservation

Program Delivery

Process: What’s

Coming Down the

Pipe?

You know what your

needs are, you know

what you want to do,

and this is a perfect

forum to find other

funding sources, in

addition to NRCS.

NRS 548 makes CDs strong!

Resource concern before human wants

Partner Roles

Practice

Relationships

Road map

Financial + Technical Assistance

Financial + Technical assistance working

together =

More conservation on the ground

1. Conservation (resource) needs assessment

2. Conservation action plan

3. Action plan implementation

4. Evaluation of results

The locally led conservation effort is the foundation of the USDA

conservation delivery process and the best model for LOCAL

decision-making.

• CDs and partners can ALL utilize the system to accomplish their

work

• Coordination and synchronized work in Nevada to prevent

duplication of effort and accomplish the best effect for the resource

Fitting the pieces together

Two stories…

For every achievement there is a price.

For every goal there is an opponent.

For every victory there is a problem.

For every triumph there is sacrifice.

William Henry Ward

We are faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. Chuck Swindoll