Leadership Challenges in Conservation

Remarks by Bruce I. Knight, Chief
Natural Resources Conservation Service
at the NRCS Midwest Region
Leadership Development Program
Washington, DC

May 14, 2002

Good Afternoon. I’m happy to be able to be here with you today.

As you know, this is only my second week on the job here at NRCS. So I want to take a couple of minutes to introduce myself.

First, and foremost, I am a rancher and farmer. I have a 1,500-acre operation in South Dakota, my native state. I’ve been in business for more than 25 years. We run a diversified grain and cattle operation using no till and rest rotation grazing systems. My father impressed on me that we may be the land owners, but we are really just the stewards of the land. That is how I have run my operation.

I am also a public policy person. I served on Majority Leader Bob Dole’s staff, focusing on the development of the conservation title of the 1996 farm bill. I also worked as a legislative assistant to Rep. Fred Grandy of Iowa and Sen. James Abdnor of South Dakota. Between those jobs, I worked for the National Association of Wheat Growers. And, until a few weeks ago, for the National Corn Growers Association, as vice president for public policy.

I am very excited about being chief of NRCS and having the chance to implement the conservation measures that I have worked on so hard over the years. It is truly an honor to join NRCS, an agency with a proud history of providing assistance to America’s farmers and ranchers. I am confident that during my tenure as Chief we will build on that heritage.

I have heard that some employees in the agency have been known to call it the “Silent Conservation Service,” because a lot of people do not know who we are or what we do. I hope to help change that perception by being an effective advocate for NRCS and doing what I can to increase our public visibility.

Since I am new at being chief, what we have today is a new leader talking to a group of emerging leaders. I understand you were scheduled to hear from Under Secretary Mark Rey yesterday. Last week, Mark introduced me to the employees from the National Headquarters. In that introduction, he said that “personnel is policy.” By that he meant that you can tell what an organization’s policy will be by the personnel it selects for leadership roles. I looked over the roster for the Midwest Leadership Development Program, and could easily see how this group represents the policies of NRCS.

First, we are building on the successes of the past. It is clear that all of you have already contributed great things to our agency. You are serving in positions of responsibility, and you will continue to do so.

Second, we value leaders from a range of disciplines. I see that you represent a number of disciplines, including biology, planning, engineering, budget and finance, and agronomy, among others. You also have a variety of program experience, including such things as RC&D, tribal programs, grassland programs.

And finally, we value leaders who represent the diversity of our agency and our customers. It is clear that you, as a group, have the kind of diversity that will help our agency continue to improve in its ability to meet the needs of all Americans.

As you know, the entire Federal government is approaching a time when many of our most experienced leaders and workers will be retiring. It is good to know we have people like you in the pipeline to help NRCS continue to meet the needs of America’s farmers and ranchers and the rest of society.

I want to take a few minutes to go over a few of the things I think we can accomplish together during the coming months:

The first thing we must accomplish is to maintain our tradition of excellent service throughout the Agency. We must continue to be an organization that is all about service – service to the land, service to landowners, and service to America’s taxpayers.

We have many accomplishments in service to the land – helping people conserve, maintain, and improve the natural resources and environment. Conservation is in pretty good shape on America’s private lands.
We have made major progress in maintaining and enhancing our natural resources. Soil erosion on cropland declined by 40 percent between 1982 and 1997. Wetland losses from agriculture are only about 5 per cent of what they were 50 or even 25 years ago. Nearly a million acres of wetland have been restored in the last decade.

The second area of service is service to landowners. Conservation Technical Assistance is the backbone of our service to landowners. Last year’s survey of our customers showed how much they value that service and how much trust they put in it. We must ensure that landowners continue receiving top quality service, both from NRCS employees, our partners, and, increasingly, through third-party vendors. Accurate resource data and science based conservation methods are another form of service to landowners. We must ensure that our science continues to be up to date.

The third area of service is service to America’s taxpayers. Service to the taxpayers includes protecting the resources that affect all people – the off-farm effects on our natural resources, as well as the on-farm effects. Service to the taxpayers also includes being responsible stewards for the tax dollars we spend. We will be increasingly accountable for using our monetary resources efficiently and effectively.

Next, we must maintain and build on the partnerships we have developed over the years. We have a long history of effective partnerships in our agency. With our increased resources in the coming years, we will have opportunities to accomplish more, to build on traditional partnerships, and to establish new partnerships.

An important area of attention for us this year is to implement the provisions of the 2002 farm bill. The farm bill represents a level of investment in conservation that has not been present in any previous farm bill. The administration and the Congress have listened to the American people and have demonstrated their support for conservation on America’s working lands. It is now our responsibility to get the job done. I know we can do it, but it will be a challenge.

The last area I want to stress is to explore the issues raised for discussion in the Department’s recent Food and Agricultural Policy document. The document contains seven principles for conservation that will guide the formation of policy in the coming years:

First, to sustain our past environmental gains.

Second, to accommodate new and emerging environmental concerns. We must continue to improve our efforts in the areas of water, energy, climate change, soil degradation, wildlife, and urban conservation.

Third, to design and adopt an approach to conservation policy that addresses many needs. We must work to achieve integration and balance among technical assistance, stewardship incentives, and land retirement.

Fourth, to reaffirm market-oriented policies. We must find new ways for the private sector to invest in the provision of environmental goods and services.

Fifth, to ensure compatibility of conservation and trade policies. We must make sure that the way we compensate producers for conservation practices is consistent with our obligations under international trade agreements.

Sixth, to coordinate conservation and farm policies. We must work to resolve conflicts between incentives that increase production and incentives for conservation.

And, finally, to recognize the importance of collaboration. We must find new ways to involve non-federal governmental agencies and private organizations, both for profit and non-profit, in getting conservation done. The more participants we have locally and nationally in the business of conservation, the more we will get done.

The farm bill creates enormous opportunities for us to provide leadership in serving the land, serving landowners, and serving the American taxpayers. I know that, working together, we will turn these opportunities into accomplishments. I hope that I will see you all again during the coming months.