This week, the ECD located in Braxton County announced it was awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).
Clark Mollohan, Chairman, ECD Board of Supervisors states “by providing this level of support, it allows existing staff to focus on more technical issues and allows for more interaction and planning with the ECD Board of Supervisors.”
The 2020 NACD Technical Assistance grant provides ECD staff with more time in the field, allows for more large-scale visionary planning and involvement in the community, and builds capacity to have more conservation contacts.
This is the third year of the NACD technical assistance grant program, which was created with funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help increase staffing at the field level and provide conservation services to farmers, ranchers and local communities across the U.S.
The 2020 NACD Technical Assistance grant award to ECD in the amount of $40,968.00 will fund a full-time program support specialist position to support increasing conservation activities in the areas of agricultural education, agricultural enhancement program contacts, and agricultural community projects in Braxton, Clay, Nicholas, and Webster Counties.
“Since 2018, NACD and NRCS have worked together to increase staffing at the field level for conservation districts,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “This increased technical capacity helps to improve conservation services to farmers, ranchers and local communities across the nation.”
To date in 2020, NACD and NRCS have awarded $15 million in technical assistance grants. Since the program’s inception, NACD has funded technical assistance in all 50 states and three U.S. territories.
“Even in this time of a national emergency, farmers and ranchers have conservation concerns that need to be addressed,” Palmer said. “NACD is proud to provide funding to America’s conservation districts and allow for more boots on the ground, providing our growers with support for their individual landscapes and resource concerns.”
Visit NACD’s website to learn more about the grant program.