Engineering in the Soil Conservation Service
Engineering has played an essential part in meeting NRCS' mission objectives.
By John T. Phelan and Donald L. Basinger, 1993
NRCS, now as in the past, relies upon cooperation among many professional disciplines to accomplish its mission objectives. Engineering has played an essential part in this process since the creation of the agency in the 1930s and continues to do so to the present. This study was released in 1992. Its authors each served as the director of the Soil Conservation Service's Engineering Division: John T. Phelan from 1971 to 1974, and Donald L. Basinger from 1984 to 1989. Their perspective on the development and contributions of engineering to conservation is a valuable addition to the literature on the history of NRCS.
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NRCS History Publications
Browse our collection of NRCS historical notes and historical insights.
Learn MoreA Brief History of NRCS
For more than 80 years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has been a pioneer in conservation, working with landowners, local and state governments, and other federal agencies to maintain healthy and productive working landscapes.
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