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Arlen Lancaster, Chief
Updated 08/24/2006
Appointed
August 23, 2006, Arlen Lancaster heads the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, the primary agency for voluntary conservation on working agricultural
lands. As the thirteenth Chief for the agency, he directs the work of 12,000
employees and manages a budget totaling nearly $3.2 billion.
Before joining NRCS, Mr. Lancaster served as USDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Congressional Relations. Previously he worked for the Congress in a variety of
positions including senior policy advisor for Senator Mike Crapo, staff director
for the Senate Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization
and staff member for Senator Robert Bennett. He played a key role in crafting
the conservation title of the 2002 farm bill.
As NRCS chief executive officer, Mr. Lancaster guides the agency in helping
people help the land through locally-led, cooperative conservation programs.
Under his direction, NRCS works with private landowners and partners to
conserve, maintain and improve natural resources, which supports sustainable
agriculture and enhances the environment. NRCS conservation partnerships provide
public environmental benefits such as a cleaner environment, clear and abundant
water, increased biological diversity and a scenic landscape.
A graduate of the University of Utah, Mr. Lancaster is the first Asian American
Chief of NRCS. He is an avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman. He and his wife
Staci live in Alexandria, Va.
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