Natural Resources Conservation Service

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Agency overview
Formed	April 27, 1935
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

The agency was founded largely through the efforts of Hugh Hammond Bennett, a soil conservation pioneer who had worked for the Department of Agriculture since the early 20th century.^[3] On September 13, 1933, the Soil Erosion Service was formed in the Department of the Interior, with Bennett as chief. The service was transferred to the Department of Agriculture on March 23, 1935, and was shortly thereafter combined with other USDA units to form the Soil Conservation Service by the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935, passed by Congress on April 27, 1935.^[4][5] Hugh Bennett continued as chief, a position he held until his retirement in 1951. On October 20, 1994, the agency was renamed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994.^[4]

See also

• Conservation Security Program
• Dust Bowl
• National Cooperative Soil Survey

References

External links

• NRCS - Official site

v • d • e Agencies under the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture · Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment Forest Service · Natural Resources Conservation Service Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Farm Service Agency · Foreign Agricultural Service · Risk Management Agency  · Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Under Secretary of Agriculture 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 · Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service · Economic Research Service · National Agricultural Library · National Agricultural Statistics Service Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Agricultural Marketing Service · Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service · Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

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