Federal Regulation sets forth procedures for establishing and using the advice of Local Working Groups to assist in making technical recommendations relating to the implementation of natural resource conservation activities and programs. Locally led conservation is based on the principle that community stakeholders are best suited to deal with local resource problems.
Local Working Groups are the community, working through the local conservation district, and include local conservation district officials, agricultural producers representing the variety of crops and livestock or poultry raised within the local area, nonindustrial private forest land owners, and other professionals representing relevant agricultural and conservation interests and a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, plant, wetland, and wildlife sciences who are familiar with private land agricultural and natural resource issues in the local community. Local Working Groups provide recommendations on local natural resource priorities and criteria for conservation activities and programs.
While Local Working Groups are advisory in nature and have no voting or implementation authority, USDA gives strong consideration to their recommendations. Local Working Groups support the locally led conservation effort by helping to coordinate USDA programs with other Federal, State, and local conservation programs to provide an integrated solution to addressing natural resource concerns.
Schedule of Local/Basin Work Group Meetings in the Pacific Islands Area
