Fiscal Year 2006 Conservation Achievements

NRCS and its partners made Fiscal Year 2006 a banner year for “Helping People Help the Land.” Below, listed alphabetically, are the facts and figures for FY 2006:

Air Quality
• Reduced particulate matter on farms in California's Joaquin Valley, contributing to 3 years of clean air monitoring data of this pollutant. (NRCS Air Quality Page)

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans
• Applied more than 5,000 comprehensive nutrient management plans.
• Wrote more than 6,000 comprehensive nutrient management plans.

Multiple rows of trees and shrubs, as well as a native grass strip, combine in a riparian buffer to protect Bear Creek in Story County, Iowa. This buffer is a nationally designated demonstration area for riparian buffers. NRCS image.

Conservation Buffers
• Applied conservation buffers on nearly 225,000 acres.

Conservation Easements
• Nearly 113,000 acres of farmland and grazing land protected through conservation easements (on the linked page, scroll down for NRCS easement programs.)
 
Conservation Planning
• Plans written for nearly 17.2 million acres of cropland and hay land.
• Plans applied on almost 13.4 million acres of cropland and hay land.
• Plans written for more than 30 million acres of grazing land.
(NRCS Conservation Planning Assistance)

Conservation Security Program
• Reached 15.8 million acres of land enrolled in CSP (includes FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY 2006).

Energy Savings
• Released three energy-saving tools for agriculture producers, proven to save agriculture producers money and energy.
• Added more vehicles to NRCS' fleet of bio-diesel fueled vehicles.

Erosion Reduction
• Reduced cropland soils damaged by erosion by nearly 5.9 million acres.
• Reduced soil erosion by almost 75.4 million tons.

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection
• Protected more than 45,200 acres of farmland from conversion to nonagricultural uses through FRPP.

Forest Land
• Applied forest stand improvements and established trees and shrubs on nearly 318,000 acres.

Grazing Lands
Conservation applied on more than 26.5 million acres of grazing land.

Habitat
• Treated nearly 15.4 million acres of non-federal land.
• Managed more than 3.6 million acres of non-federal land for protection and enhancement of habitat of species with declining populations.

Information
• Distributed more than 1 million publications through the NRCS National Publication Distribution Center/1-888-LANDCARE. (Order publications.)

Irrigation
• Improved irrigation efficiency, conserving more than 1.3 million acre-feet of water.
• Applied irrigation water management on more than 1.1 million acres. (NRCS Irrigation Page.)

Nutrient Management
• Applied nutrient management measures on nearly 4.6 million acres.

Pest management techniques, such as crop scouting, help producers reduce pesticide use, which saves money, prevents over-treatment and protects water quality. NRCS image.

Pest Management
• Applied pest management measures on more than 5 million acres. (on the linked page, scroll down for NRCS pest management information.)

Plant Materials
• Released 25 new conservation plants for commercial or private use.
• Prepared and transferred 427 plant materials technical documents to customers.

Soil Surveys
• Mapped or updated soil surveys on nearly 35.5 million acres.
• Released 126 new or updated soil surveys for public use.
• Made 351 soil surveys available in digital format.

Water Supply Forecasts
• Issued more than 11,500 water supply forecasts.
• Provided nearly 16.2 million water supply forecasts and data reports through the National Water and Climate Center Web site.

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
• Installed 9 multi-purpose water supply reservoirs.
• Installed 133 flood prevention or mitigation measures (including structures, easements, and other measures);
• Completed 121 risk assessments.
• Authorized 13 watershed rehabilitation plans.
• Rehabilitated or removed 4 unsafe dams. (Program Web page)

Wetlands
• Created, restored, or enhanced more than 318,000 acres of wetlands. (NRCS Wetland Science Page)
• Protected more than 114,000 acres of wetlands through 30-year or permanent easements.


For more information on NRCS, the conservation partnership, and conservation programs available in your community, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local USDA service center.