Natural Resources Conservation Service

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Agency overview

Formed	April 20, 1932
Preceding agency	Soil Erosion Service
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Employees	11,478 (2006)
Agency executives	Dave White, Chief Ginger Murphy, Acting Associate Chief
Parent agency	Department of Agriculture
Website	www.nrcs.usda.gov

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.

Its name was changed in 1994 during the Presidency of Bill Clinton to reflect its broader mission. It is a relatively small agency, currently comprising about 12,000 employees. Its mission is to improve, protect, and conserve natural resources on private lands through a cooperative partnership with local and state agencies. While its primary focus has been agricultural lands, it has made many technical contributions to soil surveying, classification and water quality improvement.^[1]^[2] One example is the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), set up to quantify the benefits of agricultural conservation efforts promoted and supported by programs in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill). NRCS is the leading agency in this project.

History

Supported organizations

Great Basin Plant Materials Center based in Fallon, Nevada.^[3]

References

^ U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Washington, DC. "Soil Survey Programs." Accessed 2009-06-05.
^ NRCS. "National Conservation Practice Standards." National Handbook of Conservation Practices. Accessed 2009-06-05.
^ "Great Basin Plant Materials Center". USDA NRCS. Retrieved 22 October 2010.

External links

Natural Resources Conservaiton Service - Official site

v t e United States government agencies involved in environmental science
Environmental Protection Agency Global Change Research Program National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Science Foundation Smithsonian Institution
Department of the Interior	Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Bureau of Reclamation National Park Service United States Fish and Wildlife Service United States Geological Survey Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement
Department of Commerce	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geodetic Survey Marine Fisheries Service Ocean Service Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Weather Service
Department of Energy	Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of Environmental Management Office of Science National Laboratories and Technology Centers
Department of Agriculture	Agricultural Research Service Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Farm Service Agency Food and Nutrition Service Foreign Agricultural Service Natural Resources Conservation Service (National Water and Climate Center) Rural Utilities Service Forest Service
Department of Homeland Security	Science and Technology Directorate United States Coast Guard
Department of Health and Human Services	Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Defense	Air Force Research Laboratory Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Joint Typhoon Warning Center Office of Naval Research Combat Capabilities Development Command
Executive Office of the President	Climate Policy Office Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Council on Environmental Quality
Defunct	Environmental Science Services Administration United States Fish Commission United States Coast and Geodetic Survey White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy

v t e United States Department of Agriculture
Headquarters: Jamie L. Whitten Building Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs	Foreign Agricultural Service United States Codex Office
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment	Forest Service
Under Secretary for Rural Development	Rural Housing Service Rural Utilities Service Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services	Food and Nutrition Service (Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion)
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety	Food Safety and Inspection Service
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics	Agricultural Research Service (National Agricultural Library) National Agricultural Statistics Service Economic Research Service National Institute of Food and Agriculture Office of the Chief Scientist
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs	Agricultural Marketing Service Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation	Farm Service Agency (Commodity Credit Corporation) Risk Management Agency (Federal Crop Insurance Corporation) Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm Production and Conservation Business Center
Office of the Chief Financial Officer	National Finance Center
*Reports directly to the Secretary of Agriculture

History

Supported organizations

See also

References

External links