A Partner in Conservation Since 1935
"Out of a long list of nature's gifts to man, none
is perhaps so utterly essential to human life as soil." -Hugh Hammond Bennett,
First Chief, Soil Conservation Service, 1939
Updated
05/19/2008
In
March 1935, fierce windstorms from the Great Plains carried huge dark clouds of
dust eastward and blackened skies as far away as the nation’s capital. Hugh
Hammond Bennett convinced Congress that soil erosion was a menace that merited
national attention. On April 27, 1935, Congress established the Soil
Conservation Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conserve natural
resources on agricultural lands and named Bennett as Chief. During his tenure,
Bennett stressed the importance of soil conservation to crowds across the
country.
Today, NRCS remains the nation’s leading agency in conserving natural resources
on private lands. Celebrate with us as we mark the agency’s 70th anniversary.
Every employee and partner contributed to the agency’s many accomplishments. The
nation’s citizens can enjoy the benefits of productive soils, clean air and
water, and open spaces because of the agency’s work. We all have a reason to
celebrate!
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70th Anniversary Radio Interview
Transcript
James
Ford's Interview with Farm Bureau
NRCS Timeline
History of NRCS
A Story of Land and People
Hugh Hammond Bennett, Father of Conservation
Biography
Quotes
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Writings on the History of SCS and NRCS
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Conquest of the Land Through 7,000 Years
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Conservation Milestones (419 KB)
updated 4/20/05
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