National Association of State Conservation Agencies Forum - Recent Topics

Mike Brown is asking for important input

Dakota Ewert — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 15:08:18 +0000

I hope all of my friends at NASCA are doing great! A few friends and I are seeking a
good place to hunt Merriam’s turkeys nest spring. I would appreciate any leads you
folks could provide. I can be reached at wirehairmail@gmail.com or at 302-270-8624.
Thanks very much, and I miss all of you!
Mike Brown
Former NASCA Executive Director

What technology do other states use to store and share resources for Conservation Districts?

Breegan Andersen — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:27:01 +0000

Hello!

I’m looking to learn what systems other states use to organize, store, and share resources with their conservation districts. I’d love to hear:

What technology or software platforms you’re using (e.g., SharePoint, custom portals, databases, learning management systems, etc.)
What software or program do you use to collect information or uploads from districts (e.g., MS Forms, Survey123, Qualtrics, Google Forms, etc.)
How districts access these resources (public website, login-based portal, internal network, etc.)
Any features or approaches that have worked particularly well—or not so well
Whether your system was built in-house or purchased

Our technology limitations are being highlighted of late, and we've been having more conversations if whether we need to migrate from SharePoint and Microsoft 365 to something else. Thanks in advance!

Time Management Speaker or resource

Marsha Setzkorn-Meyer — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:59:19 +0000

Thanks to NASCA Staff Sharing Session at the annual conference, we now hold a virtual monthly training webinar (CIA - Conservation in Action) for our district managers. DOC staff has presented topics, but we have also asked other professionals - usually partners - to share topics where our agencies work together to benefit conservation. It has been well received, with over 70% of the districts on the most recent call. We surveyed DMs asking for topic suggestions. "Time Management for Busy offices, tips, tools, strategies for multitasking, prioritizing, and completing tasks efficiently during high demand periods" was requested. Anyone have suggestions? Has your office created a time management program? Anyone bring in outside speakers to address this subject?

District Manager Performance Reviews

Clare Ireland — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:30:40 +0000

We're looking at requiring district boards to conduct annual performance reviews of their district managers as part of their core services funding agreement, and I'm wondering if any other states provide guidance to district boards around performance reviews. If so, I'd love to see copies of any guidance or materials currently in use. We're finding lots of generic examples to reference, but ultimately, I think we're going to try to tailor the templates and best practices we produce to the district context.

TSPs - are your districts, association, state agency staff certified TSPs?

Nikki Brinson — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:09:05 +0000

Who is a TSP in your state? Specifically, are there any conservation districts that provide that service (or state agency/association staff)?

Recommendations for LMS to Train District Employees

Sam Allbee — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:40:50 +0000

Hi everyone! The NC Soil & Water Conservation Division is considering implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) to onboard and train district staff.

Does anyone currently use an LMS for district or statewide staff training? If so, which one, and what has your experience been like (ease of use, cost, features)? Any recommendations or lessons learned would be appreciated!

Districts as Stormwater Utilities?

Clare Ireland — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:41:47 +0000

Vermont is looking at creating regional stormwater utilities for the first time. Currently, Vermont does not have general purpose county government and our Conservation Districts have mostly stayed out of regulatory clean water issues, working instead in the non-regulatory space, so I'm wondering how other states do this. A few questions:

Do any Conservation Districts themselves either serve as regional stormwater utilities or host them?
If not hosting the stormwater utility directly, do any Conservation Districts partner with stormwater utilities or receive funding from them (for example, for outreach and education or technical assistance)?
For districts that are part of MS4 compliance, does that work intersect at all with stormwater utilities? And what does that partnership/workflow look like?

This is an area I don't have a lot of experience in, so any thoughts about what works or doesn't work for Conservation Districts in the regulatory clean water space around stormwater management would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Clare

Communications, Education and Social Media Engagement

Kelsey Kempker — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:48:49 +0000

How are other states assisting conservation districts in engaging landowners to utilize conservation practices? Are districts utilizing social media? Who administers social media accounts, are there templates that are provided for what to post ect? Do any states have a curriculum or program that they use to provide education in schools or at engagement events, if so what are they?

Seeking Insight: Supporting SWCDs with Statute Interpretation

Breegan Andersen — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:16:46 +0000

Hi all, I'm looking to learn how other state conservation agencies assist their SWCDs in interpreting statutes relevant to district operations. In our state, recent legislative changes have led to a noticeable uptick in legal interpretation questions from districts. While our agency’s general counsel has been helpful, their role isn’t to serve as legal counsel for SWCDs, and we’re finding that more questions are being elevated than in the past.

I'm curious:

How do your agencies handle requests for legal interpretation from districts?

Do you have dedicated staff who assist with statute interpretation?

Have you developed internal guidance, FAQs, or other tools to help districts navigate legal questions?

Is there a formal process for obtaining legal opinions without overburdening agency counsel?

Any examples, lessons learned, or resources you’re willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your insights!

State statutes for Soil Health / Soil Health Assessments

Elliot Lagacy — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 10:56:16 +0000

Do any other States have statutes or acts concerning soil health and soil assessments?