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About Rhode Island NRCS
The Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) is a Federal agency that works hand-in-hand with
the people of Rhode Island to improve and protect their soil, water and
other natural resources. For decades, private landowners have voluntarily
worked with NRCS specialists to prevent erosion, improve water quality and
promote sustainable agriculture.
NRCS employs soil conservationists, soil scientists,
agronomists, biologists, engineers, geologists and resource planners. These
experts help landowners develop conservation plans, create and restore
wetlands, restore and manage other natural ecosystems as well as advise on
storm water remediation, nutrient and animal waste management and watershed
planning.
NRCS, formerly called the Soil Conservation Service, was
initially focused on preventing soil erosion on America’s farmland. Over
the years Americans have become concerned with a broader array of natural
resource issues. In response, NRCS has broadened its technical services in
order to provide science-based solutions to address America’s
ever-changing environmental concerns. While farmers remain the primary
client of NRCS, the agency also provides technical assistance to city
planners, watershed groups, state and local governments, civic organizations
and individual homeowners.
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Conservation Technical Assistance
The Natural Resources Conservation
Service provides conservation planning and technical assistance to
individuals, groups and units of government. These clients develop
and implement conservation plans to protect, conserve and enhance
their natural resources.
When providing assistance, NRCS focuses on the sound use and
management of soil, water, air, plant and animal resources. NRCS
helps clients manage their resources in a way that prevents resource
degradation, ensures sustainability, allows for productivity and
respects the client’s needs. Conservation planning can make
improvements to livestock operations, crop production, soil quality,
water quality, hay land, forestland and wildlife habitats. The
process also integrates ecological and economic considerations in
order to address private and public concerns.
The success of conservation planning depends upon the voluntary
participation of clients. The planning process used by NRCS is based
on the premise that clients will make and implement sound decisions
if they understand their resources, natural resource problems and
opportunities as well as the effects of their decisions.
The Conservation Partnership
When the conservation pioneers created the Natural Resources Conservation Service it put in place
a Federal, State, and local government partnership for delivering conservation assistance
to the landowners. They had concluded that the Federal agency could best deliver technical
and financial assistance to the land owners while State governments and local conservation
districts could more effectively connect with the individual landowners and set local
pursuits for action.
In Rhode Island the partnership includes the Rhode Island
Conservation Districts, the Rhode Island State Conservation Committee and the
Natural Resources Conservation Service. A conservation district is a subdivision
of local government, established under state law to carry out programs for the
conservation and wise management of soil, water, and related resources.
There are three conservation districts in Rhode Island. The
Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District consists of Bristol and
Newport Counties; the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District
consists of Providence County; and the Southern Rhode Island
Conservation District consists of Kent and Washington Counties. Each district is
governed by a board of directors elected and appointed citizens
who volunteer
their time and leadership to the conservation effort.
Conservation district directors work
hand-in-hand with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to
deliver technical assistance to the people of Rhode Island. NRCS
provides technical services while the districts provide
representation from the local community and the leadership to set
priorities for conservation activities and develop new programs.
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