Gary, right, and Sue Price have been implementing conservation practices for more than 35 years they on their "77 Ranch" and they have submitted an application for the new national water quality initiative.

Cross posted from the White House Council on Environmental Quality blog:

How important is water? Well, it’s not a question I have to think too hard about. What I can tell you is that without it, there wouldn’t be any humans or critters roaming the earth. Read more »

NRCS Chief Dave White and Dr. Maurice Cook applaud as Hugh Hammond Bennett, III, his wife, Nina Bennett, and his brother, Robert Bennett view the newly unveiled historical marker.

Why does land wear out? This great agricultural mystery led generations of farmers to simply move when the land no longer supported agricultural production. That changed in 1905, when a soil scientist unearthed the key to sustained productivity by linking soil erosion and degradation of soil quality. Read more »

Without pollinators like this honey bee, there would be no apples, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate, almonds, melons, pumpkins and many other tasty foods!

Last week I went to a North American Pollinator Partnership (NAPPC) symposium at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s South Building, just off the National Mall. NAPPC is celebrating 10 years of existence, and the symposium made up day one of NAPPC’s three-day, annual conference, the focus of which this year is “Why Pollinators Matter: Benefits, Challenges, and Outcomes.” Read more »

Robert Snieckus (left), National Landscape Architect, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Andree Duvarney (center), Special Assistant to the Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Brian Symmes (right), “Eight Oaks” plant a progeny of one of the original oaks at “Eight Oaks” the home of Dr. Hugh Hammond Bennett the first Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service then the Soil Erosion Service at Dr. Bennett’s home in McLean, Virginia on Friday, October 15, 2010 as part of the celebration for the 75th Anniversary of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The trunk of the oak tree behind has an approximate age of 350 years.

Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service, now the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), was established largely because of the efforts of one determined individual—Hugh Hammond Bennett. Bennett served as the agency’s first chief for more than 15 years, tirelessly working to educate others about the seriousness of soil erosion. On Friday, October 15, nearly 20 NRCS employees and friends took time off from work and to be Earth Team volunteers, planting oak seedlings, azaleas and phlox in Hugh Hammond Bennett’s memory at his former home. Read more »

The hayrack provided transportation for those on the conservation tour. Rep. Moran stands in the field as he listens to John Bradley explain plans to improve the field on the left. John’s low-stress grazing system benefits both his cattle and the environment (and makes life a lot easier on him as well).

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency that provides one-on-one conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers and other private landowners. We help landowners grow food and other crops in more efficient, environmentally friendly ways to protect the natural resources that we all depend upon—water, soil, air and wildlife. With 70 percent of land in the lower 48 states in private hands, the choices these landowners make truly determine the health of the environment. Read more »

By Brad Fisher, Public Affairs Specialist

Right now, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is sharing the agency’s conservation expertise with more than 42,000 scouts at the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.  Scout jamborees are always jammed with excitement, but this one is extra special – a celebration of BSA’s 100th anniversary. Congratulations BSA from everyone at NRCS on your century of service and adventure! Read more »