When the 2025 federal government shutdown disrupted normal lines of communication, Kansas conservation officials turned to a tactic borrowed from their Iowa counterparts: brief, virtual check-ins to keep conservation district managers connected and informed.
This idea grew out of the NASCA State Ideas Sharing session held at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, where Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) staff described their “Conservation Check-In” strategy—short, virtual calls designed to keep the lines of communication open during periods of uncertainty. Kansas attendees at the roundtable recognized that Iowa’s approach could be quickly adapted and implemented back home.
Many of Kansas’s 105 conservation districts share office space, equipment, and digital networks with federal partners, blurring the lines between local and national operations. When federal offices closed, conservation district staff improvised and worked remotely to continue providing services. Before the shutdown, each district shared alternate contact information—non-federal email addresses and phone numbers—and used districts’ websites, Facebook pages, and recorded messages to keep landowners informed about programs and services.
While federal doors were locked, conservation district offices remained open and operational. However, many new managers navigating their first federal government closure were uncertain about how to proceed.
“We knew we needed some kind of human contact,” explained Marsha Setzkorn-Meyer, conservation district coordinator for the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), Division of Conservation (DOC). She added, “email alone wasn’t enough” to clearly communicate what responsibilities and duties must continue during the shutdown.
Setzkorn-Meyer and three colleagues present at the NASCA State Idea Sharing session recalled Iowa’s communication approach and implemented the idea in Kansas. The solution was straightforward: a 10-15 minute virtual check-in that functioned like an office staff meeting. She purposely chose to use the Zoom platform over Microsoft Teams because many district managers working remotely no longer had access to their federal Microsoft accounts.
The Kansas Conservation Check-Ins allowed the state to share pending deadlines and updates and provided a forum for questions and a peer-to-peer information exchange. Approximately 50 district managers participated.
“The Conservation Check-Ins have had a positive response so far,” said Madison Loder, the water quality program coordinator in Setzkorn-Meyer’s office. “This platform reminds the district managers of important things that are going on that week or coming up. . . . it allows Kansas’ Division of Conservation to connect more directly with the district managers, who typically communicate more with NRCS than the DOC—a gap that became especially evident during the government shutdown.”
Although the federal shutdown ended on November 12, Kansas officials held two check-ins during November. After district managers said they wanted the virtual discussions to continue, DOC officials said the check-ins would carry on.
“It was a small program with a big impact,” the coordinator said. “And all the credit goes to Iowa.”
Kansas officials said the experience reinforced the value of peer learning through NASCA, noting that the idea emerged from informal conversations with colleagues rather than official planning meetings.
“Honestly, states need to come to NASCA and attend a staff-sharing session,” Setzkorn-Meyer said when asked what advice she would give other states. “That’s where this started.”
Will Myers, field services bureau chief with IDALS, echoed that view.
“The Idea Sharing Session is the highlight of the NASCA Annual Conference for me,” Myers said.
“It’s a valuable opportunity to communicate productively with other state entities in a fully interactive format. Most participants leave with two or three valuable ideas they can immediately take back to their state programs and having the opportunity to do this in a professionally facilitated environment really makes the experience worthwhile.”
Myers, who presented Iowa’s communication approach at the NASCA conference, said that Iowa’s Conservation Check-In grew out of necessity. Its overall communication strategy developed during the 2025 federal shutdown and evolved in real time as the closure dragged on and as conditions evolved.
When cut off from federal resources, IDALS established alternative communications channels such as non-federal email accounts and a secure internet portal. The agency also identified non-federal remote work locations for staff who were previously housed in federal offices and initiated regular, all-hands virtual meetings.
With the possibility of future lapses in federal funding, Myers urged states to capture lessons learned from the recent shutdown while the experience is still fresh. He recommended creating contingency communication plans outside of the federal infrastructure—maintaining current personnel contact lists, alternate email addresses, and non-federal platforms—to remain connected when federal systems are offline.
He also advised proactively preparing “get ready” instructions for staff that clearly outline how and where they will report and explain how communication will occur once shutdown begins. Holding an initial staff call soon after the closure begins, followed by regular, predictable check-ins helps keep staff informed and productive. Myers stressed that leaders need to remain flexible, noting an effective communications playbook must evolve as conditions change.