CACD wrapped up its 73rd Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 29th, 2017.   The conference included two days of meetings, speakers, break-out sessions and great collaboration between conservation district managers, staff and supervisors, partners and producers!   Our keynote Tuesday morning was motivational speaker Jeff Evans – Mountain Vision: Lessons Beyond the Summit, followed by special guest speakers Jeff Burwell, NACD Western Issues Specialist; Clint Evans, NRCS CO State Conservationist; Rebecca Mitchell, CO Water Conservation Board Director; and Kevin Rein, Colorado State Engineer, followed by luncheon speaker Amy Hays, from the Noble Research Institute who spoke on “Generational Changes in Conservation Messaging.” 

In cooperation with our Federal Partners NRCS, CACD is pleased to announce a new matching agreement option for District Education and Outreach Workshops!
 
This program will offer funding to assist districts with workshops that provide education and/or outreach at their local level to children and adults in the areas of natural resource and conservation issues.  
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These topics will be presented by the districts to CACD based on district desires and needs for workshop subjects specific to their area for the purpose of education and outreach related to conservation. 

WOODLAND PARK HIGH SCHOOL CONTINUES THEIR WINNING STREAK AT THE 2018 COLORADO ENVIROTHON COMPETITION
 
Woodland Park High School’s AP Environmental Science team once again took first place honors at the 2018 Colorado Envirothon Competition for the third time.  The event was held on April 23 - 25, in Aurora, CO! This year’s event took place at the Arapahoe County Fair Grounds in Aurora, with 8 teams participating coming from all over Colorado, to compete in the Colorado Envirothon’s annual natural resource science-based contest. The second-place team was Sargent High School for Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley and, the third-place team was from Woodland Park High School.
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2018 CO Envirothon - Save the Date
April 24-25, 2018
Arapahoe County Fairgrounds
25690 Quincy Avenue, Aurora, CO 80016
 
 
2018 Camp Rocky - Save the Date
July 8-14, 2018
RMMC
709 CO RD 62, Divide, CO 80814
 
 
2018 CACD 74th Annual Meeting - Save the Date
November 27-29, 2018 - Save the Date
Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center
4705 Clydesdale Parkway, Loveland, CO 80538

CACD Long Range Planning – The CACD Board of Directors has been working on some long range planning goals for your state association. A LRP Committee was formed and had been meeting monthly, via teleconference, and will report to the full CACD Board of Directors in August, at their two day face-to-face meeting.
 
CO Ag Council and CO Ag Water Alliance – CACD, as a member of the Colorado Ag Council, meets this time of year on a quarterly basis, with other member CO Ag related organizations. This is our opportunity to collaborate and discuss relevant issues regarding natural resource conservation and Colorado’s valuable agricultural interests.  As a member of Ag Council, CACD has a larger voice on current legislative issues that affect our Districts and their cooperators around the state. These meetings are usually in conjunction with the meeting of the CO Ag Water Alliance. CAWA reviews and addresses any and all of CO’s current water issues and legislation and provides input to the CO Water Conservation Board, among other Colorado water groups.
 
Local Work Group Meetings – By now, most of our Districts have either have had their Local Work Group meetings, in order to affirm to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) the local on-the-ground conservation needs and priorities in your District and Watershed areas.  CACD encourages your District to advertise and market these important input sessions annually, with meeting facilitation assisted by the Conservation Specialists from the Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB) for your area.  

2016 Camp Rocky – Camp Rocky took place during the week of July 10 - 16, just outside of Divide, CO this year. This CACD sponsored co-ed event is for 14 – 18 year olds, who are interested in learning about natural resource conservation. There are 4 conservation based disciplines—soil and water, forestry, range management, and wildlife.  Camp Rocky is one of the most supported of CACD’s programs by the Conservation Districts statewide. Many Districts help to sponsor our future conservation leaders for the entire week at this educational summer camp. Please check out the 2016 Camp Rocky photos, and this year’s camp reports on CACD’s website, at: www.coloradoacd.org  under the “Education and Events” tab.

Great Plains Windbreak Initiative  -- CACD has been invited to be part of the Planning Committee for this new stakeholder group, to address the decline of windbreaks, shelter/hedge breaks, etc. occurring in the Great Plains Region. The states that have also been included in this initial Planning Committee process were:  North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas. The group will represent all facets of natural resource organizations, including state and federal Forest Service agencies, FSA, NRCS, state and local Conservation Districts, University Extension Offices, along with several private wildlife organizations. We will focus on how to deal with aging windbreak conditions that play an important part in the Great Plains region’s rural conservation practices.   
 
2016 Annual District Dues – A big THANK YOU to those Conservation Districts that have paid your 2016 annual dues to CACD already! This dues income is imperative to CACD’s administrative operations on a day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month basis. As always, we want to hear from you about what you and your District need. Please feel free to give me a call or email at any time, with any concern or questions that you may have, at:  (719) 686-0020 or spattee4cacd@gmail.com
 
CACD Legislative Committee – CACD’s lobbyist, Brett Moore, along with our Legislative Committee, saw the end of the Colorado 2016 Legislative Session on May 11th.  The link for CACD’s Bill Tracking Sheet is available on the CACD website under the “Education and Events” tab (http://www.coloradoacd.org/legislative-and-current-policy.html), for your review of the bills that we supported, were in opposition to, or were monitoring on behalf of our Conservation District membership.
 
Legislation in Action -- I was up at the Capitol in Denver on June 9th, to be present at the South Platte Water Storage Study bill signing by Governor Hickenlooper.  This was House Bill 2016-1256, which Rep. J. Paul Brown championed for during the 2016 Legislative Session.  J. Paul has always been a staunch supporter of CACD and Colorado's conservation issues. I travelled to Denver to be there with him and a few of the CO Ag Council members, not to mention Senator Jerry Sonnenberg. CACD takes seriously our commitment to monitor all of the legislative water issues on your behalf, here in Colorado!
 
Fall 2016 Watershed Meetings – It is that time of the year when Colorado’s Conservation Districts come together as Watershed Associations, to discuss area events, concerns, 2016 Conservation award nominations, and move forward any District level Resolutions that need to be voted on by the Watershed membership. If passed at the Watershed level, they will advance to the state level, and if passed by the CACD membership, they become statewide CACD Policy. These important Policy Resolutions not only give CACD legislative direction at the state Capitol, but they can also advance to the National level, where they could be voted on at the 2017 NACD Annual Meeting, and become national policy as well
 
CACD’s 2016 Annual Meeting – CACD’s 2016 annual meeting will be at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Loveland, November 14 – 16, 2016.  At the request of our membership, the annual meeting will have a shorter format/schedule this year. We hope that this shorten format will improve our Board Supervisor and District Manager attendance. The 2016 Annual Meeting conference flyer is now available on the CACD website, as will be further information on our speakers and a draft agenda in the next few weeks. We have been having 2016 Program Committee teleconferences over the past several months, to discuss the 2016 AM theme, “Conservation in Colorado – Navigating Our Future”, along with the meeting content. If you’d like to get involved with the input for our conference this year, please let me know!

NACD’s 2017 Annual Meeting – The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) will hold their next Annual Meeting, January 28th through February 2nd, 2017, in Denver at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel and Conference Center!  As the host state Executive Director, I have been meeting with the NACD Planning Committee in order to focus on Colorado’s input to this national event. Please mark your calendars to attend this annual conference, where representatives from all over the United States come to make national natural resource conservation policy, network, and learn about the current important state and national conservation issues.  As soon as I have a draft agenda from NACD, I will send it out to all of the Districts and their Board Supervisors. It will also be posted on the CACD website.
 
CACD Donations Through AmazonSmile.com – CACD now has a link at AmazonSmile.com for a .5% donation of your eligible Amazon purchases to be sent to CACD as a charitable contribution.  In order to browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select CACD as their organization to receive the .5% donation on your purchases to CACD by electronic funds transfer.  Anyone can support CACD by choosing us as your AmazonSmile.com non-profit organization of choice, at:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0470063. This link is also available on CACD’s website, on the home page, for your continued use.  
 
As always, I want to encourage you to be relevant to your District’s landowners, who you serve.  If you accomplish this task, the success of your District will come – I guarantee it!  Thanks always for your continued support! 

Respectfully,
CACD Executive Director

CO Ag Council at the Capitol – CACD, as a member of the Colorado Ag Council, meets on a quarterly basis, with the other member Ag related organizations. This is our opportunity to collaborate and discuss relevant issues regarding conservation, natural resources, farming and ranching.  As a member of Ag Council, CACD has a larger voice on current legislative issues that affect our Districts and their cooperators around the state. The next meeting has been scheduled for June 29th, in conjunction with the next meeting of the CO Ag Water Alliance. CAWA reviews and addresses CO’s current water issues and legislation and provides input to the CO Water Conservation Board.
 
Local Work Group Meetings – By now, most of our Districts have either had or have scheduled your Local Work Group meetings, in order to affirm the local on-the-ground conservation needs and priorities in your District/Watershed area.  CACD encourages your District to advertise and market these important input sessions, with meeting facilitation assisted by the CSCB Conservation Specialist for your area.  

2016 Camp Rocky – Camp Rocky is in its 53nd year and registration has already started for camp this summer! CR will be held this year during the week of July 10 - 16, just outside of Divide, CO. This CACD sponsored co-ed event is for 14 – 18 year olds, who are interested in learning about natural resource conservation. There are 4 conservation based disciplines—soil and water, forestry, range management, and wildlife.  Camp Rocky is one of the most supported of CACD’s programs by the Conservation Districts statewide.  Many Districts help to sponsor our future conservation leaders for the entire week at this educational summer camp. Please check out the latest Camp Rocky news on CACD’s website, along with all of the 2016 forms, at:  www.coloradoacd.org , under the “Education and Events” tab.

CACD Long Range Planning – The CACD Board of Directors is working on some long range planning goals for your state association. A LRP Committee has been formed and has been meeting monthly, via teleconference, and will report to the full CACD Board of Directors in August, at their face-to-face meeting.

District Funding for 2016 – Last year, CACD was able to secure an increase to the Conservation Districts’ 2015 Direct Assistance funding in the amount of $92,053.00. This came about from a CACD membership driven request and we continue to work at making sure that this increase remains in place for the 2016 fiscal year.
2016 CO Envirothon – CO Envirothon is our statewide natural resource competition for high school students, and is open to all CO high schools, 4-H Programs, and FFA Groups. The 2016 event is being held on April 26 and 27th, at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock, CO.  This year, CACD has partnered with the Rio Grande Watershed Education Initiative to put the contest on next month.  As of this writing, we have 17 teams that have sent in a verbal commitment to participate, from all parts of the state!  As a District/Watershed, please contact your local high schools, FFA and 4-H Chapters to get them involved in this fun annual event. For the team requirements and the 2016 forms, please check out the COE website at: www.coloenvirothon.com 
CACD and NRCS – We continue to work on our partnership with NRCS, which includes quarterly meetings between CACD, CSCB, and NRCS at the area level. I attend NRCS’s Leadership Team meetings and the NRCS State Technical meetings on a quarterly basis.

In December 2015, I attended several important meetings --

• CO Envirothon’s Steering Committee met to discuss an MOU between CACD and the Rio Grande Watershed Education Initiative, where they would take the lead in organizing the 2016 CO Envirothon competition.  This year’s statewide contest will be held on the front range this year, in Douglas County, April 25th – 26th.  Further details can be found at: www.coloenvirothon.com

 

• CO Farm Bureau hosted the final 2015 meeting of CO Ag Council at their offices in Denver.  As a member, CACD continues to stay connected with this group and is recognized as a valuable partner in CO agriculture. As a group, CO Ag Council is more effective on the various issues that impact agriculture in our state.

 

• The Camp Rocky leadership met, via teleconference, to start planning this year’s camp program.  CACD sponsors this week long, youth camp will be held outside of Divide, July 10 – 16. All of the registration forms and materials can be found on CACD’s website:  www.coloradoacd.org

 

• The Colorado Ag Water Alliance held its bi-annual CO Ag Water Summit in Loveland, at The Ranch complex.  Despite the wicked winter weather, the conference was well attended and enjoyed by all that braved the storm to listen to speakers discuss our statewide water issues.

 
And, so far in January 2016 --

• Due to the problem with trespass livestock in Mesa Verde National Park, CACD sent a comment letter to them and the National Park Service, supporting their desire to exercise the federal authority that they possess in order to deal with these abandoned animals. Action needs to be taken in order to prevent further damage to the Park and its natural resources.
• And, last week, another letter was written and taken in hand to the CO Parks and Wildlife hearing in Denver, with regard to the possible Introduction/Reintroduction of Mexican and Grey Wolves into Colorado.  Supported by CACD’s membership driven Policy, I expressed our opposition of the introduction of wolves into CO. The hearing was well attended and quite contentious, to say the least.

 

• CACD honors our 2015 Conservationists of the Year, in the Farmer and Rancher categories, at the National Western Stock Show on January 20th during the evening’s rodeo. Our lobbyist Brett Moore, invites various CO legislators to join CACD’s Board of Directors for this event, in order to bring awareness to CACD and the legislative issues that can impact our Districts and their members, with regard to any natural resource conservation concerns in CO. Bob Warner helps sponsor this annual January gathering.

 

• The Colorado State Conservation Board will have their first quarterly meeting in Denver at the CO Department of Agriculture’s offices in Broomfield, on January 27th and 28th. CACD meets with the CSCB quarterly to discuss leadership, District outreach, along with a variety of topics relative to conservation and our state programs.

 

• The National Association of Conservation Districts’ 2016 annual meeting will be in Reno, NV from January 30th through February 3rd. Gary Moyer, as a newly elected NACD Executive Board member, Bob Warner, as CO’s NACD representative, and I will be attending this year. Colorado will be taking two Resolutions that were passed from the state, to the region, and now on to the national level with regard to dealing with the management and ever increasing populations of wild and feral horses in the west. This is a very important meeting for natural resource conservation at the national level.

 
As you can see, CACD keeps very busy keeping a finger on the natural resource conservation “pulse” here in our state of Colorado.  Please know that I am here to help assist you, your Conservation District, and our conservation partners whenever possible. We will be successful if we continue to work as a team!
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Respectfully,
CACD Executive Director