The National Resources Inventory (NRI) is an inventory of land cover and use, soil erosion, prime farmland, wetlands, and other natural resource characteristics on non-Federal rural land in the United States. The NRI provides a record of the Nation's conservation accomplishments and future program needs.
The purpose of this inventory is to determine the conditions and trends in the use of soil, water, and related resources on a state-wide level and then the data is summarized on a national level.
Some 800,000 sample sites are used for NRI across the nation. At each sample point, information is available for various time periods. From this time series, changes and trends in land use and resource characteristics can be estimated and analyzed. Currently, NRI data is collected continuously, allowing for annual analysis of dynamic environmental trends. Previously, it was collected every 5 years.
NRI data are statistically reliable for national, regional, state, and sub-state analysis. The NRI was scientifically designed and conducted and is based on recognized statistical sampling methods.
The data are used in national, state, and local planning, university research, and private sector analysis. They help shape major environmental and land-use decisions.
Useful Links
National NRI Web site
