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Major Land Resource Area (MLRA)

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) including the publication Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin (USDA Agriculture Handbook 296, 2022).

Land Resource Regions (LRR) and Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) are delineated in the 2022 MLRA Geographic Database and described in USDA Agriculture Handbook 296. The handbook is used as a basis for decisions regarding national and regional land resource issues targeting efforts in education, finance, and technical services. It is also used to identify needs for research and additional inventories, as well as a vehicle for extrapolating research results across political boundaries. The handbook also serves various agencies within USDA by organizing and operating conservation program and other land resource and management programs.

Spatial Database

2022 MLRA Geographic Database, version 5.2 (5.1 MB)

Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin (USDA Agriculture Handbook 296, 2022)

Low-resolution text and maps

Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin (35.79 MB)
Conterminous U.S. Map (29"x26") (1.44 MB)
AK, HI, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin Map (29"x26") (2.36 MB)

Ordering Information

One copy may be ordered through the NRCS Distribution Center. For larger quantities, please contact your State Soil Scientist.

  1. Order on-line: Go to the NRCS Distribution Center
    a. Enter the keywords “land resource regions”
     
  2. Order by phone: 888-526-3227
     
  3. Order by e-mail: NRCSDistributionCenter@ia.usda.gov

Recommended Citation

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2022. Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 296.

A hogback along the water pocket fold in Capitol Reef National Park.

High Resolution Text and Maps

The text and maps shown above are available in high resolution on Box.

Link to Box

Gallery of supplemental photos (coming soon).—Additional imagery to illustrate the landscapes. The gallery is sorted by Land Resource Region (LRR) and Major Land Resource Area (MLRA).

Additional Information

Defining LRR, MLRA, and LRU

Definitions for Land Resource Region (LRR), Major Land Resource Area (MLRA), and Land Resource Unit (LRU).

Learn More

MLRA Vintage Swipe

View the spatial evolution of MLRAs by comparing distributions as published in 1965, 1981, 2006, and 2022 editions. Swipe left to show 965 distributions. Swipe right to show 1981 distributions. The white lines represent MLRAs from 2006 and the blue lines are the current 2022 MLRAs. Clicking on the map will pop-up the tabular information for both years.

Interactive Map

Contact Soils

Please contact us if you see something that needs to be updated, if you have any questions, or if you need accessibility assistance.

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USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.