40 People from 15 States Attend NWF's Leveraging USDA Conservation Dollars in Your State Conference

(National Wildlife Federation)

Chris Hesla, Traci Bruckner, Steve Sorensen Chris Hesla, South Dakota Wildlife Federation, Traci Bruckner, Center for Rural Affairs, and Steve Sorensen, Kansas Wildlife Federation, talk about their experiences on USDA State Technical Committees

NRCS Chief, Dave White New Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White talks about the impact of USDA conservation programs on wildlife.

Elbert Traylor, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Elbert Traylor, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, explains a strategy to keep expiring Conservation Reserve Program from being converted back to cropland.

Forty people from 15 states attended NWF's Leveraging USDA Conservation Dollars in Your State March 27-28 in Nebraska City, Nebraska.

Participants included 15 representatives from 12 NWF state affiliates, who were inspired with examples of how Farm Bill conservation dollars can be better spent at the state level to implement State Wildlife Action Plans, address climate change, and generally benefit fish and wildlife. Each year, these programs provide more than $4 billion to help farmers and ranchers put in place conservation systems on their farms and ranches.

One highlight was the keynote speech by Dave White, recently named Chief of the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), who showed stark before and after pictures that made it clear what conservation programs can do on the landscape. He emphasized a new NRCS focus on climate change, especially in adaptation strategies.

Breakout groups discussed ways to focus Farm Bill conservation dollars to implement State Wildlife Plans, address the loss of native prairie and other grassland, deal with climate change, and address water quality and quantity problems.

NWF plans to continue to build this network of affiliates and other conservationists dedicated to promoting fish and wildlife habitat on America's private lands, with conference calls, follow-up information, and a growing email network. NWF is also planning future workshops in other locations with our partners, the Izaak Walton League and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

The Nebraska Wildlife Federation organized a Sandhill Crane Wildlife Adventure tour, putting participants who stayed an extra day in a bird blind on the Platte River, where they got a close-up view of the annual Sandhill Crane migration.

Special thanks to the David & Lucile Packard Foundation for providing funds for the event.

Special thanks to the following NWF state affiliates in attendance:  Planning and Conservation League (CA), Association of Northwest Steelheaders (OR), Nevada Wildlife Federation, South Dakota Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Kansas Wildlife Federation, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Prairie Rivers Network, Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and Virginia Conservation Network.