Central National Technology Support Center Staff

Cheryl Simmons

National Technology Specialist

Updated 11/02/2005

Cheryl Simmons is a National Technology Specialist located in Fort Worth, Texas. She began her career in 1978 as a soil conservationist student trainee with NRCS at Hays, KS and has served in several locations, including 14 years as District Conservationist in Wabaunsee County located in the Flint Hills of north central Kansas and in Howard County, Maryland. In 2000, Simmons accepted a position in NHQ with the Farm Land Protection and Community Planning Staff.

Experience

National Agricultural Conservation Policy and Program Development and Implementation (2000 to 2005)

Work at the national level to implement the Conservation Security Program (CSP) and the Farmland Protection Policy Act.  Activities and assistance included:

• national training programs;
• national policy directives and policy assistance to states;
• state level technical and financial assistance allocations;
• national program budgets, staffing and business plans;
• annual program reports to congress;
• development and update of field level implementation tools including the CSP Self-Assessment and the farmland protection Land Evaluation Site Assessment information tools hard copy and on-line.

 Field Level Program Delivery (1978 to 2000):

Delivery of technical and financial assistance programs available for natural resource conservation on agricultural land. Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

• long term contracts and agreements (including Great Plains contracts) with local land owners for USDA NRCS conservation program benefits;
• erosion and wetland field determinations;
• conservation planning and certified nutrient management planner;
• survey, design, and check out construction of structural conservation practices for cropland,  range, wetland, wildlife and woodland conservation programs;

• review-approval for erosion and sediment control plans, temporary storm water management plans, and advised the county on implementation of the Forest Conservation Act and Watershed Planning; 

• extensive work with Conservation Districts, County Councils, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and other interested public and private parties on the 404 permitting process and partnership activities;

• represented NRCS on the USDA Forest Service Baltimore City Ecosystem Study, the EPA Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy, and the Kellogg foundation Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture;

Education

• BS Degree in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture Education with a minor in Soils
  University of Nebraska/Lincoln, NE (1979)
• Masters of Public Administration Degree
  Kansas University/Lawrence, Kansas (1988)

Affiliations

• Society for Range Management
• Soil and Water Conservation Society
• Association of Women Soil Scientists

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