USDA Announces Strategy to Uphold its Federal Trust Responsibilities to Increase Support for Conservation on Tribal Lands

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released a new Tribal Relations Strategy, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to honoring its federal trust relationship with the 574 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Villages that have sovereign interest in more than 119 million acres of land across the United States.  

“I’m proud to release this Tribal Relations Strategy, which contains six action items that will increase NRCS’s service and commitment to tribes, as they have requested,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “NRCS is furthering its commitment to work closely with Tribal nations to steward lands and waters. This natural alliance ensures the ongoing health of the nation’s renewable resources. We appreciate Tribal Nations’ consultation, collaboration, and cooperation to enhance and strengthen NRCS’s Nation-to-Nation relationships.”  

The strategy was based on feedback from Tribal Nations, including recommendations made to Chief Cosby at the 2021, 2022, and 2023 National Tribal Consultations, and in-depth collaboration that took place at seven Regional Tribal Conservation Advisory Council meetings. Its six action items include:  

1. Hiring a Tribal Relations Director to establish an NRCS Office of Tribal Relations within the Office of the Chief.  
2. Filling positions dedicated to tribal conservation.  
3. Providing housing assistance on tribal lands (in partnership with the Department of the Interior).  
4. Implementing a tribal knowledge training plan.  
5. Creating an advanced tribal development program.  
6. Recording correctly tribal conservation data.  

This strategy builds on many years of listening, working and consulting with tribes to address their natural resources concerns. NRCS is committed to carrying out its federal trust responsibilities by ensuring that the agency has tribal operations built into its organizational structure.  

NRCS plans to announce a new national Tribal Relations Director in the coming months. Tribal organizations can reach out to their State Conservationist for more information and submit a request for assistance.  

More Information  

In addition to NRCS, USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency are also supporting Tribal Nations. Learn more on the Partnerships with Tribal Nations webpage on farmers.gov.  

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. Now, with additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, NRCS is working to get even more conservation practices on the ground while ensuring access to programs for all producers. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.    

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.