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Policy Advisory Board Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The mission of the USDA RC&D Policy Advisory Board (PAB) shall be to provide policy advice for the NRCS Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program, and to effectively and appropriately integrate the RC&D Program into all relevant USDA community development activities. In carrying out this mission, the PAB will:

  • Help ensure that policies are responsive to the needs of local RC&D Councils and USDA field personnel, and in so doing, meet local community development needs

  • Seek to assure that all relevant USDA Agencies, consistent with their missions and authorities, can help the program add as much value as possible at the local level

  • Facilitate the interaction among RC&D Councils and Associations, USDA Agencies, and the Secretary

  • Stimulate interest among USDA Agencies

  • Support appropriate actions that coordinate and integrate programmatic activities, where appropriate

  • Provide advice and guidance to the Chief of NRCS as the final decision-maker for the RC&D Program and as the official delegated responsibility for the program by the Secretary

Guiding Principles

The Policy Advisory Board will be guided by the following principles:

  • Many of the issues and opportunities faced by the RC&D Program involve both urban and rural communities and the interfaces between communities and rural lands.

  • It is important to support efforts to achieve sustainable communities, forging productive linkages between environmental interests and development interests.

  • Our work must be based on the four guiding principles of empowerment:  economic opportunity; sustainable community development; community-based partnerships; and a strategic vision for change.

  • Our work must support creative and sustainable solutions to the environmental, social and economic issues facing RC & D Councils.

  • Our work must support comprehensive community development efforts of RC&D Councils.

  • Our work must encourage appropriate linkages between RC&D Council strategic plans and other natural resource and economic development goals for the State that were established through public processes.

  • Our work must place real emphasis on using public/private partnerships.

  • Our work must encourage full local citizen awareness and participation in each RC&D Council.

  • Our work will help ensure that the RC&D Program will serve all segments of the population in support of environmental justice.

USDA RC&D Working Group

Role and functions:

  • Prepares reports and proposals for the Policy Advisory Board, either at the Board's request or the Working Group's own initiative.

  • Works closely with state, regional, and national associations of RC&D Councils and other allied groups to address identified needs and concerns.

  • Conveys needs and concerns of the councils to the Policy Advisory Board. 

  • Assists NRCS in the analysis and consideration of program implementation issues and details, at their request.

  • Provides staff support for the RC&D Policy Advisory Board, as appropriate.

  • Assists in integration of relevant USDA programmatic activities (for example, Biomass or Alternative Energy, Sustainable Development Council, others).

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