Common Questions
Question:
What is the NRCS? Answer:
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the federal agency that
works with landowners to conserve natural resources on private lands. NRCS is
part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We were formerly called the Soil
Conservation Service (SCS).
Question:
What does NRCS do?
Answer:
The agency provides technical and financial assistance to conserve natural
resources. While much of the technical assistance helps farmers and ranchers
develop conservation systems uniquely suited to their land, the agency also
provides assistance to other private landowners and communities to reduce
erosion, conserve and protect water, and address other resource concerns. See
the Montana NRCS Technical Resources and
Montana NRCS Programs web pages.
Question: Where are NRCS field offices located?
Answer: NRCS field offices are located in nearly every county in Montana and on
the seven reservations. The locations of field offices in Montana are listed on
the Local NRCS Service Centers (Field
Offices) in Montana web page.
Question: When did the name of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) change to Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?
Answer: SCS became NRCS in 1994 to better reflect its expanded role of helping to
protect natural resources such as water, air, plants, and animals on private and
tribal lands.
Question: How do I contact NRCS?
Answer: You can find information about your local NRCS office by looking up “USDA
Service Center” or “Natural Resources” in the federal government pages of your
phone book. Contact information for each NRCS field office in Montana is also
available at the Montana NRCS Office Locations web page.
Question: Are NRCS publications available to the public?
Answer: Yes. There are several ways to get NRCS publications. Your local NRCS
field office, the NRCS state office, or the LANDCARE office may have the
document you are looking for. Visit the Publications web page to find a catalog
of publications available through the NRCS state office and a link to order
publications online from the LANDCARE office.
Question: Does NRCS publish any educational materials?
Answer: On the Conservation Education web page, several materials are available
including soils lesson plans, activity books covering a variety of topics, links
to additional Web sites, and tree planting guidelines. If you would like to
receive any of these materials as hard copies rather than electronically,
contact NRCS public affairs at 587-6971.
Question: Can I get information about Montana for my school report?
Answer: NRCS has some limited information about Montana that would be appropriate
for a school report. Contact NRCS public affairs to request this type of information. For some really good information about
Montana, visit the State of Montana
Web site, the
Montana Kids Web site, the
Travel Montana Web site, and the Montana Historical Society’s
Student Guide to the Study of the State.
Question: I know NRCS has a volunteer program. How do I get involved?
Answer: First, you can get more information about the Earth Team volunteer program
at the NRCS Earth Team Volunteers web page. If you would like to volunteer
locally, contact the NRCS field office in your county to find out about any
volunteer opportunities they may have.
Question: How do I find out about employment opportunities with NRCS?
Answer: Connect to the
USA JOBS
Web site. This site will help you to find and
apply for jobs with NRCS and throughout the federal government. For more
information about job opportunities with NRCS in Montana, contact the Human Resources
Section, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Building Room 443, 10
East Babcock Street, Bozeman, MT 59715; call 406-587-6937; e-mail:
Sharon Huber;
or visit the Careers with NRCS web page.
Question: How can I find a map that will give the most
current snow pack information?
Answer: The Map-Based 7-Day 1:00 a.m. SNOTEL Report for Montana web
page will give you daily snow depths and current temperatures for all the
automated SNOTEL sites in Montana.
Question: Where are county soil surveys available?
Answer: Soil surveys are generally available from your local NRCS office.
Information is also available on the How to Order a Published Soil Survey web
page. This page offers information including which soil surveys are published, a
soil survey request form, and contact information. Many soil surveys are also
available online from the Web
Soil Survey.
Question: I received the county soil survey maps but
not a hard copy of the soil survey manuscript. How do I get one?
Answer: New soil surveys for Montana are available only online
or on a CD. A hard-copy manuscript is no longer printed. The soil survey text
may be available online from the
Web Soil Survey. See the
How to Order a Published Soil Survey
web page to order a CD version of the manuscript.
Question: Where can I download 2005 NAIP 1-meter resolution
data?
Answer: The 2005 NAIP data for the entire state of Montana was recently
released in county mosaics. This is the 1 meter orthorectified data, but has
been compressed with MrSID at a rate of 1:15. It is available at the following
link:
http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/. Individual quarter
quads have not been released yet and are not expected until summer 2006 or later.
Question: Why don’t some pages, which are supposed to be updated on a regular basis,
show the most current data?
Answer: The most likely problem is that the web page you are accessing is actually
a copy that resides on your hard drive. To be sure you are getting the most
up-to-date information, click on the “refresh” button in your internet browser.
Question:
How do I make a Freedom of Information Act request?
Answer:
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal statute which allows any
person the right to obtain federal agency records unless the records (or part of
the records) are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions
contained in the law. On October 2, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the
Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (E-FOIA). E-FOIA will
make it possible for individuals to have electronic access to certain USDA
information without making a formal FOIA request.
Bart Huber, 406-587-6957, is Montana’s FOIA contact person. For more
information, visit the NRCS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) web page.
Last Modified:
02/18/2009
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