Agency Celebrates 70 Years of Conservation Success

In March 1935, fierce windstorms from the Great Plains carried huge dark clouds of dust eastward and blackened skies as far away as the nation’s capital. Hugh Hammond Bennett convinced Congress that soil erosion was a menace that merited national attention. On April 27, 1935, Congress established the Soil Conservation Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conserve natural resources on agricultural lands and named Bennett as Chief. During his tenure, Bennett stressed the importance of soil conservation to crowds across the country.

Today, NRCS remains the nation’s leading agency in conserving natural resources on private lands. Celebrate with us as we mark the agency’s 70th anniversary. Every employee and partner contributed to the agency’s many accomplishments. The nation’s citizens can enjoy the benefits of productive soils, clean air and water, and open spaces because of the agency’s work. We all have a reason to celebrate!

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State Of Oklahoma Proclamation (PDF; 280 KB)

Hugh Hammond Bennett

Hugh Hammond Bennett Biography

Quotes From Hugh Hammond Bennett

Speeches of Hugh Hammond Bennett

A History of NRCS

• NRCS Timeline
• A Story of Land and People
• NRCS History Articles
• Conquest of the Land Through 7,000 Years

The following documents require Acrobat Reader.

Quotes (PDF; 52 KB)
Conservation Milestones (PDF; 419 KB)

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