The policy of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service is that economics is an essential
consideration in all agency decision making. Economic principles must be
applied in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of agency policies
and program activities to provide the most cost effective assistance to
customers, cooperators, and partners for the sustained use of natural
resources.
Economic principles and techniques, including cost
effectiveness, economic feasibility, and benefit-cost analysis will be
applied to all program formulation, management, and evaluation activities
of the agency.
Economic effects of alternative actions should be
provided to NRCS customers in order for them to make informed resource
conservation decisions. NRCS policy permits cost effectiveness analysis,
partial budgeting, profitability analysis, and other appropriate analyses
when requested by the client. NRCS policy prohibits field offices from
obtaining financial information beyond that volunteered by the client.
For nationwide consistency in the application of economics in all NRCS
activities, the National Resource Economics Handbooks and other directives
will be used as the guidance for the integration of economics into
conservation planning, program implementation, and program evaluation at
the field, state, regional and national offices of the agency.
Economic principles and techniques
shall be used at all levels of the agency in order to satisfy the goal of
maximizing environmental benefits per dollar expended as legislated for
selected U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs.
This section addresses policy, scope, responsibilities and references
in carrying out the mission of the agency with respect to economics.
400.1 Policy
The policy of the Natural Resources Conservation Service is that
economics is an essential consideration in all agency decision making.
Economic principles must be applied in the planning, implementation, and
evaluation of agency policies and program activities to provide the most
cost effective assistance to customers, cooperators, and partners for
the sustained use of natural resources.
400.2 Scope
(a) Economic principles and techniques, including cost
effectiveness, economic feasibility, and benefit-cost analysis will
be applied to all program formulation, management, and evaluation
activities of the agency.
(b) Economic effects of alternative actions should be provided
to NRCS customers in order for them to make informed resource
conservation decisions. NRCS policy permits cost effectiveness
analysis, partial budgeting, profitability analysis, and other
appropriate analyses when requested by the client. NRCS policy
prohibits field offices from obtaining financial information beyond
that volunteered by the client.
(c) For nationwide consistency in the application of economics
in all NRCS activities, the National Resource Economics Handbooks
and other directives will be used as the guidance for the
integration of economics into conservation planning, program
implementation, and program evaluation at the field, state, regional
and national offices of the agency.
(d) Economic principles and techniques shall be used at all
levels of the agency in order to satisfy the goal of maximizing
environmental benefits per dollar expended as legislated for
selected U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs.