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NRCS Colorado Programs  

Composite photos show diversity of NRCS Colorado Programs. Photos courtesy of NRCS Public Affairs Staff

NRCS's natural resources conservation programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. Public benefits include enhanced natural resources that help sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality while supporting continued economic development, recreation, and scenic beauty. Much of the funding for conservation programs is associated with provisions of the  2002 Farm Bill and the NRCS Conservation Program Allocations to States.

Conservation Innovation Grants/CIG is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production.

The Conservation Reserve Program/CRP  is a voluntary program in which participants enter into contractual agreements with the USDA to take highly erodible land and environmentally sensitive cropland out of production by applying protective vegetative cover suited for wildlife. CRP is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency/FSA, with  technical and other assistance from the NRCS.

The Conservation Security Program/CSP is a voluntary stewardship program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands.

Conservation Technical Assistance/CTA provides voluntary conservation technical assistance to land-users, communities, units of state and local government, and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing conservation systems.

The Emergency Watershed Protection/EWP Program is designed to relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by flood, erosion or other natural disasters. NRCS directs funds and provides technical assistance to landowners to treat land within watersheds.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program/EQIP is a voluntary conservation program which offers farmers and ranchers a tool to address natural resource concerns, while achieving the environmental benefits.

The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program/FRPP provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farmland in agricultural use. Working through existing programs, the USDA joins with state, tribal, or local governments to acquire conservation easements or other interests from landowners.

The Grassland Reserve Program/GRP is designed to help landowners and operators voluntarily restore and protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. Section 2401 of the 2002 Farm Bill authorizes the Grassland Reserve Program/GRP.  The GRP assists participants to voluntarily keep grasslands from conversion to cropland or other uses.

The Small Watershed Program (SWP) works through local government sponsors and helps participants solve natural resource and related economic problems on a watershed basis. Through river basin and watershed planning, NRCS helps citizens identify resource problems and encourage solutions for flood prevention, erosion control, and protection of water quality and quantity.

The NRCS Snow Survey Program provides mountain snowpack data and streamflow forecasts for the western United States.

The Colorado Soils Program provides Soil Surveys, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), Resources Inventories (NRI) and more.

The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program designed to restore and protect wetlands on private property. Under WRP, landowners may sell a conservation easement or enter into a cost-share agreement with USDA to restore and protect wetlands.

The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private lands. It provides both technical and financial assistance to help establish and improve wildlife habitat.

Last Modified: 07/28/2008

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