2025 Conservation Employee Training
The Conservation Employee Training (CET) is a state-wide workshop that provides conservation professionals with in-depth training on technical, administrative and educational aspects related to agriculture best management practices, community conservation, district law, district operations and environmental education.
General Information:
Dates: August 11-14, 2025
Location: 40 Convention Center Drive, Cherokee, NC 28719
Visit the Event Website for Agendas & more information!
Registration Tickets Include:
- Conference Ticket for the Week and access to all sessions on Tuesday & Wednesday
- Breakfast on Tuesday & Wednesday, Lunch on Wednesday, & Banquet on Wednesday
- One afternoon Field Trip on Wednesday afternoon
Important Ticketing Information: All events require registration details. The more tickets you purchase, the more information will be needed. To ensure accuracy, refer to the section headings—they will guide you in providing details for each ticket. Please disregard labels like “Attendee 1,” “Attendee 2,” etc.; these numbers represent the total tickets purchased, not the actual number of attendees, as the system cannot track individual registrations.
Information on Workshops, Monday, August 11, 2025
Program Information:
Monday, August 11 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, lunch is provided in registration.
Ag in the Classroom Workshop– $40.00
Ag in the Classroom (AITC) is a unique educational program that is dedicated to fostering an understanding for the importance of agriculture in North Carolina. Discover how to weave the power of agriculture into everyday PreK-12 lessons in science, math, social studies, and language arts. This workshop consists of indoor AITC activities and two local farm tours: Shelton Farms – one of the oldest continuously operating family farms in western North Carolina, and Walnut Creek Farm – a majestic Scottish Highland Cattle experience. Educators will see ag in action and learn how to use the AITC program to meet the educational needs of their students through NC Standard Course of Study-based agriculture-focused curricula, workshops, grants, and ag literacy books. AITC is affiliated with NC Farm Bureau.
This program will start at a field site and with the afternoon portion being in the conference area.
Soils Workshop– $40.00
This workshop equips conservation professionals with the knowledge and tools to effectively use soil data in support of best management practice (BMP) planning. Through a combination of classroom instruction and field-based learning, participants will explore how to interpret Web Soil Survey (WSS) data, identify key soil limitations such as drainage and slope, and understand when to consult a soil scientist. Designed for real-world application, this training emphasizes practical decision-making rooted in soil science, helping you plan smarter and more effectively in the field.
This program will start in the conference area and end with the field portion, after lunch.
Mentoring Lunch, Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Mentoring Lunch on Tuesday for attendees under 3 years of experience
Free for attendees! Confirm attendance during registration.
General Schedule Information
- Monday’s Schedule: Workshops, Conservation Resource Fair & Opening Reception, and Registration Check-in. Additionally, DEA will be having a Golf Tournament Fundraiser. DEA will provide details and registration.
- Tuesday’s Schedule: Keynote Presentation, Conference Style Presentations, Skill-building workshops, & DEA Event
- Wednesday: Interactive Sessions, Regional Breakouts, Field Trips, & Banquet
- Thursday: Opportunities for additional fieldtrip
Hotel Information
Guests may call 828-497-7777 and reference the code below to book at the group rate or use this designated link.
S08SOIL – ready for call in
Book Hotel: Secure and fast hotel reservations | Caesars Entertainment
Deadline to book hotel under group rate of 129.00/ night is Friday, July 11, 2025.
Additional Information about booking at the hotel:
When guests book it does hold a one night deposit to the credit card they book with. When they actually check-in, the hotel will authorize the remaining night.
If they book through the weblink, it’s going to require that they give a credit card.
We do have the option of mailing a check for hotel room payment. The guests would need to call 828-497-7777 and reference code S08SOIL. They can explain to the agent booking the reservation that they will be mailing a check for payment.
The checks would need to be mailed to the following address and contain the following information:
- Attention, Accounts Receivable, Accounting
- 2025 Conservation Employees Training, S08SOIL
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
- 777 Casino Drive
- Cherokee, NC 28719
- Please include hotel confirmation numbers & guest names on the check.
- Checks will need to arrive at least 2 weeks prior to check-in.
For additional hotel information, please visit here.
Important Deadlines
Hotel Block: The Deadline to book hotel under group rate of 129.00/ night is Friday, July 11, 2025.
Early Registration Deadline: July 15, 2025. Anyone registering after that date will be charged an additional $30.00.
Registration Cancelation: If you need to cancel your CET registration, please do so by July 29, 2025, to receive a full refund.
Hotel Cancelation: If you need to cancel your hotel room, please contact brandy.myers@ncagr.gov with your hotel reservation. We may be able to move some with a late registration into our room block, after the July 15th cut-off.
NRCS RSVP for CET
This form collects information for NRCS employees who would like to attend CET if the travel restrictions are lifted. This will supply us with a potential headcount without causing any billing issues.
Presentation and District showcase at CET
The North Carolina Conservation Partnership is now accepting presentation proposals for the 2025 Conservation Employee Training Conference, taking place August 11–14 at Harrah’s Cherokee in Cherokee, NC. This annual event brings together conservation professionals from across the state for learning, collaboration, and skill-building. We’re looking for engaging, practical, and inspiring sessions to support professional development in all areas of conservation work.
We invite you to submit a proposal for a 20 minute presentation on a topic of your choice. This is a great way to discus topics that you value among district staff, integrate public speaking skills, and grow professionally through communication of conservation efforts in North Carolina.