NRCS Air Quality and Atmospheric Change

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service helps private landowners conserve our natural resources, and air resources are among those.  In fact, of the 79 resource concerns that are of focus to the NRCS 12 of them are in air resources.  These 12 can be broadly classified into six air quality and atmospheric change issues:   

• Particulate Matter (including coarse and fine particles, smoke, dust, and off-site effects from wind erosion)
• Ozone Precursors
• Odor
• Chemical Drift
• Ammonia
• Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Sequestration

For each of these major issues the latest science and the most relevant technical tools are being applied so that NRCS personnel, cooperators and landowners can make the best decisions regarding air resources. 

	Air Quality and Animal Agriculture Fact Sheets We have recently developed four fact sheets that provide information on how to address air quality resource concerns (Odors, Ozone Precursors, Particulate Matter, and Greenhouse Gases) as they relate to livestock operations (posted 6/6/2008).
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NRCS - Global Climate Change The USDA and NRCS have made significant commitments to promote conservation activities that both directly and indirectly contribute to the mitigation of human-induced climate change. In that spirit, a new NRCS Global Climate Change webpage puts a spotlight on the issue, with special relevance to natural resources conservation. This includes the reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increasing soil carbon sequestration.

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	USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force The NRCS Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team maintains a site which serves as a repository of information about the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force, and provides public access to Federal Register notices, meeting minutes, reports and documents, and official communiqués from and about the task force.
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The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.