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 The purpose and passion for conservation is shared among many. It is shared between NRCS employees and partners who help people help the land. And it is shared by the landowners with whom we work. Our passion is manifested through the benefits derived from stewardship of private lands—benefits we all enjoy, such as cleaner water and air, improved soils and abundant wildlife habitat. Learn about our stories, the stories of conservation made possible through a shared purpose, a shared passion and a shared commitment to conservation. |
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videos are open-captioned and require
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Meet Our Featured Customers!Eight featured customers were chosen to represent diversity of geography, culture, adopted practices and products, represent a cross-section of our landowner-partners nationwide. |
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View hundreds of stories, -- searchable by State, region, crop, conservation practice, and conservation program, -- about landowners who have succeeded in reaching their conservation goals with the help of NRCS conservation technical assistance and other programs.
Sort by clicking on the heading in which you are most interested.
| Order the items below from Landcare (1-888-LANDCARE)! | |
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New! The 12-page publication, "Helping You Help Your Land," contains information about NRCS, the assistance we provide, and how to get started with the conservation process. |
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Other Available Items from LANDCARE: Door Poster: "Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion." Postcard: "Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion. Our Thanks." DVD: "Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion.
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The Wahl family raises sheep using sound
management practices, NRCS technical assistance, and cost share, while
maintaining productivity. Conservation practices include a rotational
grazing system, ponds to supply water, and wildlife habitat restoration.
“Everything we do on the land gets written in the water.” Mary Wahl, Oregon. |
Clean water. Productive soil. Bountiful harvests. Healthy plants and forests.
Abundant wildlife. Lush wetlands. Clean air. Beautiful vistas.
Wise stewardship of natural resources benefits each of us through a healthy
environment and productive lands.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps people help the land
through scientifically based, locally led voluntary conservation efforts.
Created during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s as the Soil Conservation Service,
NRCS has expanded beyond preventing soil erosion to conserving and improving all
natural resources on private lands.
More than two-thirds of the land in the continental United States is privately
owned―that’s more than 1.4 billion acres. Chances are you own some of that land.
How can we help you?
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Brothers Donell and Robert Gwinn implement their NRCS-developed conservation plan and program support and work with their local Soil and Water Conservation District to improve water and soil quality as well as wildlife habitat on their farm. “I just want to conserve this land for future generations.” Donell Gwinn |
Inspired by a shared passion for conservation, NRCS collaborates with
farmers, ranchers, communities, and other individuals and groups to protect
natural resources on private lands.
Working side-by-side with these customers, we identify natural resource
concerns, such as soil erosion and water quality issues, and develop unique
conservation plans for restoring and protecting resources.
NRCS helps farmers and ranchers balance their economic goals with the needs of
the environment―ensuring productive lands that feed our Nation, supply fiber and
forest products, and develop energy resources.
As a result of NRCS assistance, private landowners have applied conservation
practices such as terraces, intensive rotational grazing, filter strips,
conservation tillage, and planting trees to more than 185 million acres of
cropland, grazing land, wetlands, and forestlands.
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Frank Austin leaves every acre better than
he found it. NRCS helped him
develop and implement conservation plans that include terraces,
waterways, ponds, rotational grazing, and converted cropland to
grassland. “When you fix up a place, you’re helping somebody―it’s future generations…” said Frank Austin. |
A diverse group of skilled professionals make up the NRCS workforce. Whether
working in the field or behind a desk, we each contribute to helping our
country’s landowners:
• Maintain high-quality, productive soils;
• Provide clean and abundant water;
• Promote healthy plant and animal communities;
• Improve air quality;
• Produce an adequate energy supply; and
• Help maintain the viability of working farms and ranches.
With over 92 percent of our workforce located in offices in nearly every county
nationwide, we understand the natural resource concerns of local farmers,
ranchers, and landowners. We walk the land with them. We get a first-hand
understanding of the challenges, limitations, and special features of each
operation.
These observations and discussions enable us to develop solutions that best
match each landowner’s goals with the needs of the land. Through this process,
partnership, and dedication, the resulting conservation work improves soil
quality, keeps water and air clean, and provides wildlife habitat.
In addition to providing local assistance, NRCS also develops new conservation
technology and tools, assesses the health of our Nation’s natural resources,
provides informational materials, and carries out Federal financial assistance
programs for conservation implementation.
NRCS employees contribute to productive lands and a healthy environment for all
people―every day.
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The Garcia family is reinvesting the
financial rewards earned through the NRCS Conservation Security Program
(CSP) into more stewardship work. The family will work with NRCS to
improve nutrient management, implement an integrated pest management
plan, and develop wildlife habitat. “We’ll be able to do more stewardship with that CSP payment,” said Mr. Garcia. “We’re reinvesting in environmental improvements.” |
Conservation success depends on you! We use a voluntary, cooperative approach
to addressing environmental concerns and challenges. Local leadership and action
are the foundation for effective stewardship through cooperative conservation
with NRCS.
This “conservation partnership” includes the groups, agencies, and individuals
who share our passion for conservation. From State and Tribal governments to
national commodity groups to local watershed councils, we work with many
partners to achieve their conservation goals.
Our most crucial partners, however, are the landowners and decision makers who
invest their time, energy, and money into applying conservation practices on our
Nation’s farms and ranches―resulting in benefits for current and future
generations.
One of the key components to keeping our Nation’s landscape healthy and
productive is the quality of the soil.
It can take 500 or more years to produce an inch of topsoil. If unprotected,
that same inch of soil can blow or wash away in minutes―affecting both air and
water quality. Knowing the characteristics of the soil on the land can help
people make informed decisions about land use.
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The Ho family is working with NRCS to reduce
chemical use on their vegetable farm through integrated pest management,
including an NRCS-funded fine mesh netting screen house. This new system
will reduce pesticide use by 90 percent. “Because the farmers… touch the water and the soil more than the city people, we’ve got to take care,” said Wei Chong Ho. |
NRCS works in cooperation with other agencies to classify, interpret, and
provide soils information to landowners for conservation activities, as well as
private and commercial land development. The USDA Web Soil Survey online tool
provides public access to this national soils information system (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov).
Nearly 80 percent of all water crosses private land before reaching local homes
and businesses. Wise choices based on conservation planning and the capacity of
the land and soils, impact the quality of the water that enters our rivers,
streams, and lakes―and ultimately flows through our faucets.
Conservation is a vital endeavor―both for those who rely on the land to support
their families and for all of us who depend on farmers and ranchers to take care
of our land and water. In working to protect natural resources, one positive
effect usually generates another. For example, for each landowner who plants
more grass or trees to reduce erosion, more wildlife habitat is created. When a
wetland is restored to protect water quality, wildlife habitat as well as
outdoor recreation opportunities are created. Join us in multiplying the effects
of conservation on the Nation’s land.
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The Chesmer family has implemented more than
$1 million of conservation through landowner contributions and NRCS
technical and financial assistance, saving them money while protecting
water quality and healthy and productive soils, and improving air
quality and animal health. “With strip cropping… you know you’re doing the right thing. It makes you proud when you know you made an improvement like that.” Lincoln Chesmer. |
Our Nation’s public investment in conservation is primarily funded through
farm bill programs administered by NRCS.
Most of the financial assistance provided to private landowners is used to
implement conservation practices that improve water and air quality, prevent
erosion, restore wetlands, and enhance wildlife. These programs and other annual
funding for NRCS, also help pay for NRCS staff to provide individual
conservation planning and technical assistance―our most valuable tools for
helping people help the land.
To make conservation easier for our customers, NRCS continually works to measure
and improve products, services, efficiency, and effectiveness.
We also assess the conservation effects and benefits achieved in order to
enhance our program management and delivery, as well as to provide opportunities
for others to invest in private lands conservation.
NRCS works with landowners in all parts of the country: orchard owners,
vegetable growers, cattle ranchers, crop producers, and outdoor enthusiasts, to
name a few. If you have an interest in protecting water quality, saving soil, or
providing wildlife habitat, we’d like to work with you, too!
Every landowner and decision maker, farmer and rancher who works with NRCS
starts the process by thinking about their goals. It might be as simple as
attracting more wildlife to an acreage or as involved as making water available
to livestock in a large pasture system. Whatever the conservation goals, NRCS
can help customers achieve them.
You can begin the conservation experience today! Take a few moments to think
about your land or operation and then record your thoughts based on the
following questions:
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NRCS helped the Stoller family, who operate an organic dairy and raise other crops, transition to an intensive grassing system to reduce mechanical harvesting and the need to spread manure. Their conservation plan includes the wise use and storage of nutrients and the protection of streams by planting trees and fencing out cattle. “There
are fish again in the stream… and then we heard the frogs. Then there
were thousands of butterflies in the trees. We felt good about that,”
said Scott Stoller. |
What do you want to achieve? What do you want to enjoy? What do you want to
protect or enhance for future generations?
Now, think about your land. What are the conditions of the natural resources?
Are there limitations, such as existing gullies or water resources that may
affect how goals can be reached?
Now that you’ve thought about your land and what you want to accomplish, it’s
time to call or visit your local NRCS office! Listings are in your local phone
book, or at the USDA Service Center
Locater.
When you call, you can schedule a time to visit with an NRCS conservation expert
and discuss how we can work together on conservation. Our experts can help you
develop a conservation plan, assist you in evaluating your resources, provide
technical recommendations, and identify potential sources of financial
assistance to realize your conservation dreams.
We can help you help the land. It’s our purpose. It’s our passion.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."
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Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion 
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