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Natural Resources Conservation Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

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farmers.gov
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Conservation Basics
Conserving our natural resources is a vital part of creating and maintaining healthy ecosystems on our nation’s lands.

View All Conservation Basics
Soil

Water

Plants

Animals

Land

Air

Energy

Climate

Wildlife Habitat

Invasive Species and Pests

View All Natural Resource Concerns
Featured

Soil Science

NRCS delivers science-based soil information to help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other land managers effectively manage, conserve, and appraise their most valuable investment — the soil.
Getting Assistance
For over 80 years, we’ve helped America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners conserve our nation’s resources through our voluntary programs and science-based solutions.

View All Getting Assistance
Conservation Technical Assistance

Helps producers identify conservation objectives and a roadmap for conservation on their operation.

Conservation Concerns Tool

Use this tool to learn about natural resource concerns that may impact your ag operation (farmers.gov).

Engineering

NRCS applies sound engineering tools and principles to plan, design, and implement conservation practices and systems through delegated approval authority.

Technical Service Providers

Technical service providers offer planning, design, and implementation services to agricultural producers on behalf of NRCS.
Featured

Conservation Technical Assistance

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) provides our nation’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners with the knowledge and tools they need to conserve, maintain and restore the natural resources on their lands and improve the health of their operations for the future.
Programs & Initiatives
Our natural resource conservation programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damage caused by floods and other natural disasters.

View All Programs & Initiatives
Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Provides assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Brings together partners to expand the reach of NRCS conservation programs.

Conservation Innovation Grants

Brings together partners to innovate on conservation approaches and technologies.

Conservation Stewardship Program

Helps agricultural producers take their conservation efforts to the next level.

Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

Helps state and tribal governments improve public access to private lands for recreation.

Agricultural Management Assistance

Helps agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing or natural resource conservation practices.

Wetland Mitigation Banking Program

Offers competitive grants to support wetland mitigation banks for ag producers.

Conservation Reserve Program

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides a yearly rental payment to farmers who remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.
Featured

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
Resources
The technical resources and references NRCS provides uses science-based technology to aid conservation planning and benefit soil, water, air, plants, and animals for productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

View All Resources
Field Office Technical Guides

Conservation Practice Standards

How to Get a DUNS Number

National Soil Survey Handbook

Keys to Soil Taxonomy

Soil Survey Manual

Soil Taxonomy

Technical Soil Services Handbook

View All Guides and Instructions
Featured

Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)

Technical guides are the primary scientific references for NRCS. They contain technical information about the conservation of soil, water, air, and related plant and animal resources.
News & Events
Welcome to the NRCS newsroom! Here you’ll find the latest information on USDA’s conservation agency, including news releases, feature stories, downloadable media files and more.
- News
  View All News
  Read the latest conservation success stories that show how NRCS and farmers and ranchers work together to improve agricultural operations while helping the environment.
  
  Featured
  
   Urban Producers, Public Invited to Attend April Meeting of Federal Advisory Committee fo...
  
  Read more
- Events
  View All Events
  Learn about webinars, training opportunities and local events related to NRCS programs and services.
  
  Featured
  
  Forest Management and Water Yield: Tool Development and Synthesis of Outcomes for Embedde...
  
  Read more
Contact
NRCS has employees in counties across America that help local communities every day.

View All Contact

Full Menu

Conservation Basics
Conserving our natural resources is a vital part of creating and maintaining healthy ecosystems on our nation’s lands.

View All Conservation Basics
Soil

Water

Plants

Animals

Land

Air

Energy

Climate

Wildlife Habitat

Invasive Species and Pests

View All Natural Resource Concerns
Featured

Soil Science

NRCS delivers science-based soil information to help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other land managers effectively manage, conserve, and appraise their most valuable investment — the soil.
Getting Assistance
For over 80 years, we’ve helped America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners conserve our nation’s resources through our voluntary programs and science-based solutions.

View All Getting Assistance
Conservation Technical Assistance

Helps producers identify conservation objectives and a roadmap for conservation on their operation.

Conservation Concerns Tool

Use this tool to learn about natural resource concerns that may impact your ag operation (farmers.gov).

Engineering

NRCS applies sound engineering tools and principles to plan, design, and implement conservation practices and systems through delegated approval authority.

Technical Service Providers

Technical service providers offer planning, design, and implementation services to agricultural producers on behalf of NRCS.
Featured

Conservation Technical Assistance

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) provides our nation’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners with the knowledge and tools they need to conserve, maintain and restore the natural resources on their lands and improve the health of their operations for the future.
Programs & Initiatives
Our natural resource conservation programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damage caused by floods and other natural disasters.

View All Programs & Initiatives
Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Provides assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Brings together partners to expand the reach of NRCS conservation programs.

Conservation Innovation Grants

Brings together partners to innovate on conservation approaches and technologies.

Conservation Stewardship Program

Helps agricultural producers take their conservation efforts to the next level.

Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

Helps state and tribal governments improve public access to private lands for recreation.

Agricultural Management Assistance

Helps agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing or natural resource conservation practices.

Wetland Mitigation Banking Program

Offers competitive grants to support wetland mitigation banks for ag producers.

Conservation Reserve Program

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides a yearly rental payment to farmers who remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.
Featured

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
Resources
The technical resources and references NRCS provides uses science-based technology to aid conservation planning and benefit soil, water, air, plants, and animals for productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

View All Resources
Field Office Technical Guides

Conservation Practice Standards

How to Get a DUNS Number

National Soil Survey Handbook

Keys to Soil Taxonomy

Soil Survey Manual

Soil Taxonomy

Technical Soil Services Handbook

View All Guides and Instructions
Featured

Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)

Technical guides are the primary scientific references for NRCS. They contain technical information about the conservation of soil, water, air, and related plant and animal resources.
News & Events
Welcome to the NRCS newsroom! Here you’ll find the latest information on USDA’s conservation agency, including news releases, feature stories, downloadable media files and more.
- News
  View All News
  Read the latest conservation success stories that show how NRCS and farmers and ranchers work together to improve agricultural operations while helping the environment.
  
  Featured
  
   Urban Producers, Public Invited to Attend April Meeting of Federal Advisory Committee fo...
  
  Read more
- Events
  View All Events
  Learn about webinars, training opportunities and local events related to NRCS programs and services.
  
  Featured
  
  Forest Management and Water Yield: Tool Development and Synthesis of Outcomes for Embedde...
  
  Read more
Contact
NRCS has employees in counties across America that help local communities every day.

View All Contact

Enter Search Term(s):

Subscribe
About NRCS
farmers.gov
USDA.gov
State Offices

Hands holding a clump of soil

Job Aids

Breadcrumb

Home
Conservation Basics
Natural Resource Concerns
Soil
Job Aids

A job aid is a device, tool, or an instruction on how to do a job-related task.

Job Aids

Soil Classification

Lazenby soil clods

Soil Classification

Soil Classification Materials and the Guy Smith Interviews

Correlation–Coming Soon!

Correlation–Coming Soon!

Correlation

Correlation of Soil Surveys and ESDs

Raster Map of Soils

GIS and DSM

GIS and Digital Soil Mapping for Soil Survey

GIS and Digital Soil Mapping for Soil Survey

Investigations–Coming Soon!

Bulk Density Clods on a rope in a corn field.

Investigations–Coming Soon!

Soil survey investigations include soil survey sampling.

Soil survey investigations include soil survey sampling.

Operations and Management–Coming Soon!

Soil Scientist standing by a spoil pile in a fallow corn field.

Operations and Management–Coming Soon!

Operations and Management

Operations and Management Job Aids include examples of Annual Plans of Operation and Workload Analysis.

Photography–Coming Soon!

A view of a valley with mountains in the background.

Photography–Coming Soon!

Guides for photography in Soil Survey.

Databases, NASIS

Databases, NASIS

National Soil Information System (NASIS)

The National Soil Information System data system consists of multiple interrelated soil applications and databases. This data system aids in the collection, storage, manipulation and dissemination of soil information.

Databases, General–Coming Soon!

Generic Database linkage flow chart.

Databases, General–Coming Soon!

Additional Databases used in Soil Survey

Soil Survey Graphics–More Content Coming Soon!

Soil Landscape Geology Block Diagram

Soil Survey Graphics–More Content Coming Soon!

Soil Survey Graphics

Locator Map for Block Diagrams

Hands holding a seedling.

Soil Facts

Soil Facts

Learn more about soil, soil science, careers in soil science and the soil survey.

AskUSDA

One central entry point for you to access information and help from USDA

Ask.USDA.gov

1-833-ONE-USDA

askusda@usda.gov

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Natural Resources Conservation Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

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