Privacy Policy

National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA)

Welcome to the website of the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect via our website and other interactions, how we use it, when and why we may share it, and what rights you have regarding your personal data. By using our site or interacting with NASCA, you agree to the practices described below.

Last Updated: [12/1/2025]

1. Information We Collect

NASCA is a voluntary, nonprofit that facilitates collaboration, information sharing, training, and advocacy among member agencies.

We collect and process personal data for the following purposes, but not limited to: managing memberships, facilitating events/webinars/meetings, distributing resources, handling -communications and inquiries, and improving NASCA’s services and website.

We do not operate as a commercial marketing or sales entity. Our goal is to serve our members and support conservation efforts.

a. Information You Provide

We may collect personally identifiable information when you:

Register for events, webinars, training sessions, or other NASCA-organized programs
Contact NASCA via email or web forms (e.g. “Contact Us”, “Subscribe”, asking questions via “Ask NASCA”)

Provide feedback, participate in surveys, or submit documents for resource sharing

Otherwise engage in NASCA’s services (e.g. committee participation, membership-related correspondence)

Typical data collected may include:

Name

Email address

Contact details

Organization or role

Any information submitted through forms or email

b. Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit or interact with our website (nascanet.org), we may automatically collect technical and usage information such as:

IP address

Browser type and version, device type, operating system

Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs

General (non-precise) location information

Usage patterns (to help improve site performance and user experience)

c. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to:

Improve website performance and security

Personalize your experience

Enhance site security

Analyze usage patterns

You may disable cookies in your browser settings.

d. If NASCA uses online payment or invoicing for membership dues, event fees or other services, we may collect payment-related data. (Alternatively, if dues are collected via mail-in invoices, payment data collection may be minimal.)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for purposes including:

Operating, maintaining, and improving our website and services

Responding to inquiries, support requests, or questions submitted via our “Contact Us” or “Ask NASCA” forms

Communicating with members and contacts, e.g. newsletters, announcements, updates, resource/library access, membership reminders

Improve site functionality and user experience

Prevent fraud and enhance security

Analyze engagement and site performance

We will not use your personal information for purposes inconsistent with this Privacy Policy (e.g. we do not sell or rent personal data for marketing purposes).

3. Plugins and Third-Party Tools and Sharing Your Information

We do not sell personal information to third parties. However, we may share or disclose information under the following circumstances:

Our WordPress site uses plugins and tools that may process visitor information.

Advanced Custom Fields
Structures content on the site. Does not collect personal data.

ALTCHA Spam Protection
Analyzes technical metadata to block spam submissions.

Elementor Pro
Form submissions may store the personal information you provide.

EmbedPress
Displays embedded media (e.g., YouTube, Google Maps).
Embedded content may collect data as if you visited that service directly.

Security Optimizer
May log IP addresses and security events to protect the site.

Site Kit by Google
Connects services such as Google Analytics and Search Console.
Data collected may include:

Page views

Click behavior

Browser and device information
Processed according to Google’s privacy terms.

wpForo Forum

Forum users may provide:

Username

IP address

Profile details

Public posts/discussions

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the EU/EEA/UK, we process personal data under the following legal bases:

Consent: Email newsletter opt-ins, cookies (where applicable)

Legitimate Interests: Improving the Site, ensuring security, forum administration

Contractual Necessity: When you create an account or participate in services

Legal Obligation: Compliance with government or regulatory requirements

You may withdraw consent at any time.

5. Data Security and Retention

We aim to implement reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, such as:

Secure hosting

Access controls

Firewall and malware protection

Anti-spam technologies

Restricted access controls

Data protection practices to protect personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or misuse.

However, no system is entirely secure.

We retain personal information only as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy and to:

Provide services or maintain forum history

Meet legal or security obligations

Support operational needs

Forum posts are kept indefinitely unless deleted by the user or NASCA staff. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at the information provided below.

6. Your Rights (GDPR and Other Laws)

Depending on applicable law and your circumstances, you may have the right to:

Access personal data we hold about you

Request corrections if the data is inaccurate or outdated

Request deletion of personal data (e.g. if you withdraw from NASCA or no longer wish to be contacted)

Choose not to receive certain communications (e.g. newsletters, marketing-related notices) — you can opt out any time. All NASCA email newsletters include an unsubscribe link at the bottom.

Object to or limit certain data processing (e.g. sharing with other members) where permissible

To exercise any of these rights or inquire about your personal data, please contact us at the information found below.

EU/EEA users may also file a complaint with their local Data Protection Authority.

7. International Data Transfers

NASCA is located in the United States.
If you access our Site from outside the U.S., your data may be transferred and processed in the United States.

We use safeguards—including standard contractual clauses—where required.

8. Children’s Privacy

NASCA’s services, website, and membership offerings are intended for state agencies, professionals, and adult individuals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal data to us, please contact us so we can delete that information.

9. External Links and Third-Party Content

Our site may include links to third-party websites (e.g. external resources, partners, embedded content). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically.
Updated versions will include a revised “Last Updated” date.

11. External Links

Our Site may contain links to external websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.

12. Changes to This Policy