Policy Advisory Board Description

The RC&D Policy Advisory Board (PAB) is an internal interagency forum for advising and recommending policy to the Secretary regarding the administration of the RC&D Program.  The PAB coordinates information and relevant program activities to enhance the assistance available to RC&D Councils in the 375 designated RC&D Areas located nationwide, the Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The PAB provides recommendations to the Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service (who has the delegated responsibility for administering the RC&D Program) and to the Secretary on enhancing department-wide support to the locally-led RC&D Councils.  The PAB reviews and recommends new RC&D Area designations; assists all USDA agencies in developing and implementing community assistance programs; considers legislative proposals and other key reports for effects on USDA programs and policies.

The PAB is chaired by the Deputy Under Secretary-NRE and its members are top policy officials from 10 USDA agencies and 3 mission areas.  The PAB has been instrumental in strengthening communications with the more than 5,000 RC&D Council members (typically local elected and public officials and civic leaders); in reviewing the existing RC&D statute for potential changes as part of the Farm Bill process; in evaluating and recommending applicant areas for designation by the Secretary; and in ensuring their field leaders were aware of the RC&D Councils and making their programs and services available.

The PAB has an annual plan of work and conducts an annual self-assessment on its effectiveness.  Each PAB member designates a staff person to the PAB Working Group to carry out the plan of work and to participate in meetings and workshops or other activities with RC&D Councils. The PAB is comprised of 10 agency or mission area policy officials (typically the agency administrator or their designated representative).  These same officials designate staff to serve on the PAB Working Group.  It is an internal advisory board. The PAB meets quarterly and the PAB Working Group meets regularly.

The PAB is established by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, Title II, Section 2505: Resource Conservation and Development Program) and Departmental Regulation 1042-76 dated October 18, 2000.

Contact

Anne Dubey, Executive Secretary to the PAB (Director-Resource Conservation and Development and Rural Lands Division, NRCS), 202-720-6700

< Back to Resource Conservation & Development Program