Chaired by the NRCS State Conservationist, the State Technical Committee meets regularly to provide information, analysis, and recommendations to USDA officials, who strongly consider their advice.
State Technical Committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of the natural resources conservation provisions of Farm Bill legislation.
State Technical Committee Responsibilities
The State Technical Committee meets on a regular basis, as determined by the NRCS State Conservationist, to provide information, analysis, and recommendations to appropriate officials of the USDA who are charged with implementing and establishing priorities and criteria for natural resources conservation activities and programs under Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 including, but not limited to, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Security Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Innovation Grants, Conservation of Private Grazing Land, Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Members of the State Technical Committee may also provide input on other natural resource conservation programs and issues as may be requested by NRCS or other USDA agency heads at the State level as long as they are within the programs authorized by Title XII.
- The NRCS State Technical Committee policy defines the purpose, responsibilities and membership composition of a committee.
- NRCS amended 7 CFR §610.24.
Chaired by NRCS Florida State Conservationist Juan C. Hernandez, the Florida State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) is composed of individuals and groups from a variety of agricultural and natural resource interests, as well as farmers. Although the State Technical Committee has no implementation or enforcement authority, USDA strongly considers the committee's recommendations. Additional information on NRCS and programs is available on our website or at your local USDA NRCS office.
For more information, please contact Hilary Barnhart, Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships and Initiatives, at (850) 633-7204 or hilary.barnhart@usda.gov.
Upcoming STAC Meeting Announcement
USDA NRCS will host a State Technical Advisory Committee Meeting (STAC) June 10, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (EST). NRCS will provide a report for Florida natural resource and program priorities and USDA decisions and will seek recommendations from Florida agricultural leaders.
Participation in the meeting is open to the public and will be available through a combination of in-person and remote participation. In-person attendance is limited to up to 30 members of the committee and NRCS employees at the NRCS state office, located at 4500 NW 27th Avenue, Building A, Gainesville, Florida 32606. All other stakeholders may attend the meeting virtually (Zoom link provided at a later date).
Individuals who require special accommodations or materials in an alternative format or language should contact Hilary Barnhart, Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships and Initiatives at (850) 633-7204 or hilary.barnhart@usda.gov.
Previous STAC Meetings
Recap of January 14, 2025, STAC Meeting:
View the meeting recording here. (Coming Soon)
Meeting Documents:
Recap of June 12, 2024, STAC Meeting:
View the meeting recording here.
Meeting Documents:
Recap of January 10, 2024, STAC Meeting:
Meeting Documents:
Recap of June 14, 2023, STAC Meeting:
Florida NRCS STAC - Video - June 14, 2023, Meeting (YouTube)
Recap of January 18, 2023 STAC Meeting:
NRCS STAC Meeting Video - January 18, 2023, (NRCS YouTube)
Archived - Older State Technical Committee meeting resources.
Local Working Groups
Local Working Groups (LWG) are subcommittees of the State Technical Committee and provide recommendations to USDA on local and state natural resource priorities and criteria for conservation activities and programs.
