National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NACD OUTLINES IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY
IN DELIVERING CONSERVATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.— March 10, 2010—The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) today urged Congress to continue to invest in and improve the software and technology that enable conservation districts and their federal partners to help landowners plan and implement appropriate conservation practices and programs on their land.

Conservation district supervisor Jim Krosch from the Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District located in Morris, Minn., testified on behalf of NACD before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry. The Subcommittee called today’s hearing to review USDA’s information technology systems. In his remarks, Krosch stressed the importance of the technology link between conservation districts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in effectively serving landowners.

“USDA relies on conservation districts and other partners to help deliver local technical services to farmers, ranchers, private landowners and urban communities,” Krosch said. “It is vital that the USDA data and technical tools are available to conservation district employees, as they use these tools every day to support local conservation efforts.”

Krosch shared with the Subcommittee members maps that were generated using Geographic information systems, aerial photography and USDA’s Toolkit software to map a filter strip along a stream, adding that the technology is used both on an individual and multi-farm or watershed basis.

“We encourage you to continue to provide quality information technology support for the agencies,” Krosch added.  “The better the technology we have, the better we can serve our producers, and in the end achieve our goal of putting conservation on the ground.”

Krosch’s full testimony is available on NACD’s website at http://www.nacdnet.org/policy/input/testimony/information_techology_systems_03-10-10.pdf.

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The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD’s website is at www.nacdnet.org.