Purpose of Conservation Technical Assistance Program
The Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTA) provides land users with one-on-one advice, proven conservation technologies and the delivery system needed to achieve the benefits of a healthy and productive landscape.
The primary purposes of the CTA program are to:
Reduce soil loss from erosion
Solve soil, water quality, water conservation, air quality, and agricultural waste management problems
Reduce potential damage caused by excess water and sedimentation or drought
Enhance the quality of fish and wildlife habitat
Improve the long-term land sustainability
Assist others in facilitating changes in land use as needed for natural resource protection and sustainability
The primary objectives of the CTA program are to:
Assist individuals or groups of decision makers, communities, conservation districts, units of State and local government, tribes, and others to voluntarily conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources.
Provide community, watershed, and area-wide technical assistance in collaboration with local units of government, to develop and implement resource management plans that conserve, maintain and improve natural resources.
Assist agricultural producers with complying with the Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland (Swampbuster) Conservation Compliance Provisions.
Assist decision-makers to comply with Federal, State, tribal, and local environmental regulations and related requirements, and to prepare them to become eligible to participate in other conservation programs.
Provide soils information and interpretation to individuals or groups of decision makers, communities, States, and others to aid decision making with regards to management of soil resources.
Collect, analyze, interpret, display, and disseminate information about the status, condition, and trend of soil, water, and related natural resources so that customers can make informed decisions for natural resource use and management.
Assess the effects of conservation practices and systems on the condition of natural resources.
