Conservation Technical Assistance

Conservation Technical Assistance is simply about helping people put conservation on private lands.  Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the primary federal agency that works with private landowners to help them protect their natural resources.  Technical staffs provide conservation options, recommendations, planning, and engineering assistance to individual farmers and landowners, local governments, and individual city homeowners.  As the agency’s principal function, NRCS assists people in making wise land use decisions that affect natural resources.

 More than 95 percent of Indiana’s land is privately owned.  How these lands are used and managed has a profound and far-reaching effect on society.  Applying conservation practices with the help of NRCS technical staff can reduce soil erosion and protect water quality downstream.  These practices also enhance wetlands, wildlife habitat, forestland, and grazing lands and affect air quality.  When needed, NRCS technical assistance also extends to individuals or communities to restore natural resources after floods, fires, or other natural disasters. 

NRCS emphasizes voluntary, science-based conservation technical assistance, partnerships, incentive-based programs, and cooperative problem solving at the local level.  Incentives, such as cost-share funds offered through federal, state, or local programs, help individuals apply conservation practices.  These program options are shared with the customer during the planning and application process.  The outcome of this technical assistance is often measured by the various conservation measures applied to the land.  A strong federal conservation program can enhance state and local conservation efforts.

 The strength of NRCS lies in its workforce—the men and women who work side-by-side with owners and managers of America’s privately owned land.  These employees work in USDA’s network of local, county-based offices.  They have the technical expertise and field experience to help land users solve their natural resource challenges and maintain and improve their ability to thrive economically.  NRCS employees are highly skilled in many scientific and technical specialties, including soil science, soil conservation, agronomy, biology, agro ecology, grazing land conservation, forestry, engineering geology, hydrology, cultural resources, and economics.