Skip to main content
Success Story

The Conservation Plan – A Solid Foundation for NRCS Work

By Nancy McNiff, USDA Farm Production and Conservation Business Center
Publish Date
NRCS employee hand pointing with his pinkie to signing block customer signing block where customer is about to sign Water and Sediment Control Basin, conservation practice 638

A key part of NRCS’s 90-year history was the establishment of the conservation planning process by Hugh Hammond Bennett. Many of Bennett’s ideas and principles about the critical role of conservation planning have withstood the test of time and still greatly inform our work at NRCS today.

A key part of NRCS’s 90-year history was the establishment of the conservation planning process by Hugh Hammond Bennett. Bennett was the agency’s first chief and is considered the “father of soil conservation.” He believed in considering each farm’s unique conditions when developing a conservation plan.

A conservation plan is a document outlining the strategies and actions that should be taken to protect and manage natural resources on a specific area of land. It serves as a blueprint for achieving conservation goals. To develop a conservation plan, a conservation planner and the customer (farmer, rancher or landowner) collaborate during the conservation planning process.

Bennett believed that agency employees must walk the land with the customer and see their natural resource challenges and opportunities firsthand. Bennett also understood that natural resource concerns could not be treated in isolation; soil, water, air, plants, animals, and humans are all part of an integrated system that is inter-dependent.

In 1947, Bennett formally identified the principles of conservation planning in his text, “Elements of Soil Conservation.” According to Bennett, an effective conservation planner must adhere to the following principles: 

  • Consider the needs and capabilities of each acre within the plan
  • Consider the farmer’s facilities, machinery, and economic situation
  • Incorporate the farmer’s willingness to try new practices
  • Consider the land’s relationship to the entire farm, ranch, or watershed
  • Ensure the conservationist’s presence out on the land

Today, the planning environment has become increasingly complex. Land managers and agricultural producers are more sophisticated, world markets are increasingly intricate, technology is rapidly innovating, and public interest in food production and natural resource management is increasing. The customer base for conservation planning has also become larger and more varied, including farm operators, non-operating landowners, farm management companies, non-profit organizations, universities, community co-ops, and others.

Even with all these changes over the years, conservation planners still work with customers in much the same way as they did in Bennett’s time. They work collaboratively with farmers, ranchers and landowners to identify their conservation objectives, assess the natural resource issues on their land, and develop a conservation plan that includes tools and resources customized specifically for each customer. Once the plan is in place, conservation planners are there every step of the way to assist customers with implementation as needed. And since the conservation planning process is ongoing, planners are there long after implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and make any needed adjustments.

After 90 years, many of Bennett’s ideas and principles about the critical role of conservation planning have withstood the test of time and still greatly inform our work at NRCS today. These ideas and principles have served as a solid foundation for addressing conservation challenges now and will continue to do so into the future.

This year, NRCS is focused on making several improvements to enable faster and easier gathering of customer information and developing conservation plans onsite. Chief Bettencourt’s vision for the future of NRCS is clear: to preserve the agency’s trusted, boots-on-the-ground approach while fully embracing 21st-century tools that enable staff to work smarter, faster, and more effectively. Building on the legacy of Hugh Hammond Bennett, who emphasized the importance of being present on the land and understanding the full system of natural resources, Chief Bettencourt is driving a technology-forward transformation that gives planners the digital horsepower they need to serve producers in real time.

This includes the “1 Farmer, 1 File” initiative, a unified digital record that simplifies service and eliminates duplication, and agency-wide efforts to upgrade internet speeds in field offices where outdated connections slow down critical work. With better connectivity and modern tools, NRCS staff can spend less time on paperwork and more time in the field. In many ways, this vision brings the agency full circle—advancing the same principles Bennett championed, but with the tools of today to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Additional Resources

To learn more about NRCS history and Hugh Hammond Bennett, see these additional resources:

 

Nancy McNiff is a public affairs specialist with USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation Business Center.



  •