Source Water Collaborative Potential projects with: National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)

Who is NACD? National Association of Conservation Districts The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation's 3,000 conservation districts, their state associations and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 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 NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation. Among the goals of the organization are to: Represent districts as their national voice on conservation issues; Provide useful information to conservation districts and their state associations; Build partnerships with federal and state agencies and other organizations in order to carry out district priorities and programs; Analyze programs and policy issues that have an impact on local districts; and Offer needed and cost-effective services to districts.

NACD The association was founded on the philosophy that conservation decisions should be made at the local level with technical and funding assistance from federal, state and local governments and the private sector. As the national voice for all conservation districts, NACD supports voluntary, incentive-driven natural resource conservation programs that benefit all citizens. NACD maintains relationships with organizations and government agencies; publishes information about districts; works with leaders in agriculture, conservation, environment, education, industry and other fields; and provides services to its districts. NACD is primarily financed through voluntary contributions of its member districts and state associations.

Overview Project Ideas: 1) Develop tools for conservation districts to use in their local community for basic source water protection information and outreach. 2) Provide information, links, PowerPoint's for use by conservation districts. 3) Utilize NACD website in the District Resources section to highlight completed projects.

Basic Source Water Protection Power point presentation on source water protection basics Items to cover: contaminants, sources, activities, actors, partners) + info targeted to specific audiences (local officials, public, service groups – Lions Club, etc.) – with/without narration Possible outreach materials: PowerPoint – 2 different versions Webpage connection Promote Field to Faucet brochure and links

Basic Source Water Protection Basic source water protection information – where to get water tested, which tests, importance of capping abandoned wells + how to do Timeline: Possible outreach materials: PowerPoint Handout template for districts to modify – Available at: Display templates for local county fairs, libraries for districts to use Make materials available on NACD Webpage or link to SWC site if new items posted there. Examples of current conservation district programs on water well capping- TX - ( Q.pdf) Q.pdf MN - IL -

Exhibits and Speakers NACD National Meetings 2012 – Las Vegas – Cosmopolitan 1-29 to 2-1, 2011 NACD Regional Meetings (typically June, July, August, September) Region Contacts: Rich Duesterhaus, Senior Advisor – NE Region Yenie Tran, Western Issues Specialist – P and SW Region Debra Bogar, Natural Resources Policy Specialist NP Region Beth Mason, Leadership Development Specialist – NC Region Tamara Daniel, Leadership Development Specialist – SC Region Phylis Vandevere Brooks, Leadership Development Specialist - SE Region,

NACD Communication Tools NACD Resource NACD Enotes NACD website What SWC communications tools available to NACD?

Policy Input Farm Bill Ag Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) provision: add goal to protect source water, for ranking of contract applications Implementing AWEP: Make connections:- Conservation Districts and local water systems Source Water Collaborative (SWC) members can foster these kinds of partnerships.

Youth Education 2013 NACD Stewardship Theme Watersheds Project to start in early 2012 GIS location of source water areas, source water protection actions and soil type connections Water resources coloring book Case studies: Successful source water projects completed by state

Additional Field trip(s) to local conservation district/event Link up with missions of NACD Committees, e.g., Urban & Community Conservation Committee