WASHINGTON, DC- November 17, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced the launch of the Office of the Assistant Chiefs (OAC) — a strategic realignment designed to modernize regional leadership, strengthen accountability, and put decision-making closer to the producers and partners NRCS serves. 

This new structure replaces the Office of the Regional Conservationists (ORC) and represents a key step in Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt’s vision to make NRCS more agile, field-focused, and accountable to America’s farmers, ranchers, and private landowners. The OAC structure reduces layers of bureaucracy while enhancing communication, consistency, and decision-making at the regional and state levels. Each Assistant Chief will oversee regional operations and work directly with State Conservationists to ensure consistent, science-based, and producer-driven program delivery. 

“This modernization puts leadership where it belongs — in the field, side-by-side with the producers we serve,” said Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “We are streamlining operations, improving accountability, and ensuring that every NRCS employee has the tools, support, and leadership they need to deliver conservation results that matter. This is about putting farmers first, cutting bureaucracy, and delivering better outcomes for rural America.” 

This effort reaffirms NRCS’s commitment to “Helping People Help the Land” and aligns with the Administration’s broader reform agenda and ensures taxpayer resources are managed responsibly, outcomes are measurable, and every NRCS action reinforces its mission to support voluntary, locally-led conservation on working lands.

The map above outlines the regions each Assistant Chief will oversee under the new structure. This structure ensures every region has a dedicated leader focused on driving program delivery, strengthening coordination with State Conservationists, and expanding producer access to the tools and resources they need. By placing regional leadership closer to the field, NRCS is reinforcing its commitment to responsive service, communication, and support for farmers, ranchers, and private landowners.

National impact within the four regional offices includes:  

West Region: Fort Collins, CO  

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Hawaii & the Pacific Islands
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming  
   

Central Region: Lincoln, NE  

• Arkansas
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Texas  

Northern Region: Indianapolis, IN  

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland & Washington, D.C.
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin  

Southern Region: Raleigh, NC  

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Virginia

More Information   

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and private landowners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the health of our soil, water management, and natural vitality. 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. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

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