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Policy Advisory Board Mission Statement
Mission Statement
The mission of the USDA RC&D Policy Advisory Board (PAB)
shall be to provide policy advice for the NRCS Resource Conservation and
Development (RC&D) Program, and to effectively and appropriately integrate the
RC&D Program into all relevant USDA community development activities. In
carrying out this mission, the PAB will:
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Help ensure that policies are responsive to the needs
of local RC&D Councils and USDA field personnel, and in so doing, meet local
community development needs
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Seek to assure that all relevant USDA Agencies,
consistent with their missions and authorities, can help the program add as
much value as possible at the local level
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Facilitate the interaction among RC&D Councils and
Associations, USDA Agencies, and the Secretary
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Stimulate interest among USDA Agencies
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Support appropriate actions that coordinate and
integrate programmatic activities, where appropriate
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Provide advice and guidance to the Chief of NRCS as
the final decision-maker for the RC&D Program and as the official delegated
responsibility for the program by the Secretary
Guiding Principles
The Policy Advisory Board will be guided by the
following principles:
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Many of the issues and opportunities faced by the RC&D
Program involve both urban and rural communities and the interfaces between
communities and rural lands.
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It is important to support efforts to achieve
sustainable communities, forging productive linkages between environmental
interests and development interests.
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Our work must be based on the four guiding principles
of empowerment: economic opportunity; sustainable community development;
community-based partnerships; and a strategic vision for change.
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Our work must support creative and sustainable
solutions to the environmental, social and economic issues facing RC & D
Councils.
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Our work must support comprehensive community
development efforts of RC&D Councils.
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Our work must encourage appropriate linkages between
RC&D Council strategic plans and other natural resource and economic
development goals for the State that were established through public
processes.
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Our work must place real emphasis on using
public/private partnerships.
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Our work must encourage full local citizen awareness
and participation in each RC&D Council.
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Our work will help ensure that the RC&D Program will
serve all segments of the population in support of environmental justice.
USDA RC&D Working Group
Role and functions:
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Prepares reports and proposals for the Policy Advisory
Board, either at the Board's request or the Working Group's own initiative.
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Works closely with state, regional, and national
associations of RC&D Councils and other allied groups to address identified
needs and concerns.
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Conveys needs and concerns of the councils to the
Policy Advisory Board.
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Assists NRCS in the analysis and consideration of
program implementation issues and details, at their request.
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Provides staff support for the RC&D Policy Advisory
Board, as appropriate.
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Assists in integration of relevant USDA programmatic
activities (for example, Biomass or Alternative Energy, Sustainable
Development Council, others).
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