The American landowner is, first and foremost, responsible for the care and well-being of the lands and wildlife they steward over. From wildlife populations to water quality, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) benefits conservation planning. Those who aspire for healthier habitats and better landscapes can hope to achieve that through NRCS conservation practices, NRCS programs, and overall land improvements. Here’s what you should know.
What Is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a government agency housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It manages a list of easement programs, conservation initiatives, and more. It even offers financial and technical assistance to landowners. Significant areas of focus include soil and water health.
Conserving Flora and Fauna
An important part of taking care of the land is conserving native plant species.
This involves promoting native species, removing invasive and non-native species, and increasing overall biodiversity.
Of course, it also involves conserving native wildlife species. The makings of good wildlife habitat offer animals with the food, water, and cover needed to raise their young and otherwise thrive. Oftentimes, this requires the promotion of early successional habitat.
In short, this requires providing all-around better habitat, which plants and animals alike benefit from. Fortunately, several NRCS programs and initiatives assist in these efforts.
Managing Water Quantity
Managing water quantity is a big focus of the NRCS. According to Farmers.gov, numerous issues can occur with water. Flooding and ponding are issues in areas with storm runoff, seeps, low-lying areas, and other flood-prone locations.
“When water issues arise, they can have long-term and costly impacts to natural resources and production goals,” said NRCS. “If your land has water issues, you can explore further with the Conservation Concerns Tool on farmers.gov.”
Fortunately, drainage management structures (i.e.: drain tile), runoff capture, floodplain management, wetland restoration, sediment control, and more, are ideal solutions.
The water table can be a problem, too. These levels vary depending on rainfall, runoff, geographical features, and more. The soil permeability is also of note, and according to the USDA, drainage patterns greatly influence this. Generally, a high water table becomes an issue during periods of sudden and frequent rainfall.
Generally, the USDA prescribes good surface and subsurface implementations to drain the soil. Additionally, nearby wetland restoration can improve drainage problems, too.
Other issues, such as seeps, also tend to occur from flash flooding, rising water tables, and drainage hindrances. Many of the above solutions can assist with seeps. That said, tree plantings, and large-scale wet-meadow management plans can reduce surface water as well.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, some suffer from inefficient soil moisture. Sometimes, it’s minimized rainfall, or all-out drought, but can also result from soil that drains too well. This leads to dry soils, reduced yields, and even failed crops.
Sometimes, a lack of winter soil cover can cause this issue. Plus, the USDA commonly attributes it to excess tillage and ground disturbances. It might even be an increased presence of undesired trees (i.e.: red cedar) or other plant species that aren’t ideal for habitat and agricultural well-being.
An even bigger problem includes complete water depletion. This might be the depletion of surface water, such as ponds, lakes, runoff, creeks, and small rivers. A more significant concern is depletion of the water table, and on larger scales, depletion of aquifers. Major issues require entirely different, and unique, management plans.
Improving Water Quality
Water quantity aside, the quality of water is equally important. Increased water temperatures reduce oxygen levels, impact carbon dioxide, build up unwanted minerals, cause sediment collection and buildup, and more. These challenges might result from too much direct sunlight, no groundwater contribution, sediment buildup, etc. Ways to improve such situations might be buffers, filtration strips, addition of riparian vegetation, etc.
Similarly, an excess of nutrients in water can lead to other challenges, such as algae blooms. This deteriorates water quality and hinders livestock, wildlife, and plant life. Generally, it’s a result of overuse of fertilizer, erosion of soil with high nutrient levels, and runoff from ag grounds, poor organic matter. Typically, conservation buffers, cover crops, crop rotations, residue control, and other practices, help prevent this.
In recent decades, dangerous pathogens, pesky pesticides, unwanted chemicals, and other pollutants, can degrade the soil quality, too.
Of course, a significant purpose of the NRCS is to prevent or solve many of the things outlined above. It seeks the harmonization of agriculture and natural resources, cleaner water, minimized runoff, reduced sedimentation, decreased flood risks, and more. It hopes to achieve these goals with the implementation of no-till crops, cover crops, native grasses, prioritizing water infiltration, and better water efficiency.
“Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners recognize water as our Nation’s most precious resource,” said NRCS. “Every day, new producers are stepping up to work hand-in-hand with NRCS to implement systems that conserve water and keep valuable nutrients in the field and out of local waterways.”
Boosting Soil Health
Soil health matters, too. It’s directly linked to water quality and quantity. Soil health also impacts plant growth, wildlife well-being, and especially, agricultural production.
Soil erosion is a big issue, especially in areas with frequent and sudden rainfall. Native grasses, cover crops, drainage management systems, and other tools, can be used to reduce erosion.
Soil structure matters, too. Organic matter is needed in the soil to provide the structural and nutritional foundations needed for quality plant growth.
Likewise, the nutrients within the soil influence soil fertility. This reduces or enhances overall productivity. Amend soil fertility with good agricultural and soil management practices.
Elevating Agricultural Production
The NRCS supports general farming operations. While natural resources are primary focuses, numerous programs and initiatives address important agricultural practices. It especially focuses on better soil practices, elevated soil health, improved production, and reduced agricultural costs. It provides valuable knowledge and information on optimizing the use of that John Deere tractor and Quick Attach implement, and how to boost ag production while also maintaining the natural landscape.
NRCS provides multiple layers of assistance, including financial, technical, and more. Of course, farmers benefit from proper soil and water conservation. Crop yields and profit margins immediately increase from sound practices.
“A ‘systems approach’ can also help optimize the application of nutrient and agrichemical inputs, reducing producer costs,” NRCS said. “It can also control water and sediment movement that drives contaminant losses, and trap contaminants that can be driven off the field by increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Sustainable production systems are especially important in high-priority watersheds with identified water quality concerns.”
Conservation Programs to Consider
The USDA and NRCS manage approximately 40 conservation programs and initiatives. Some of these aren’t applicable or relevant to most landowners. However, others are, and should be considered for implementation, situation depending.
Some of the most common easement programs include the:
● Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
● Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
● Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
● Health Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)
● Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP)
● Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE)
● Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP)
Other great programs include:
● Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
● Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
● Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Also, the following initiatives include tools to improve the environment, agricultural effectiveness, and more. Within these initiatives, landowners can find various information and assistance to improve the landscape.
● Air Quality Initiative (AQI)
● Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI)
● Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
● Landscape Conservation Initiatives (LCI)
● Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative (LPCI)
● Longleaf Pine Initiative (LPI)
● Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI)
● Monarch Butterflies Initiative
● National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
● Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI)
● Sentinel Landscapes Initiative (SLI)
Contact Your Local NRCS Representative
Those interested in receiving more information, or even assistance, should contact their local NRCS representatives. Find the regional office near you, call or email the local NRCS specialist(s) in charge of the specific area of interest, and ask key questions. Inquire about initiative info, easement programs, and more.
“A conservation plan identifies the customer’s conservation objectives and assesses and analyzes the natural resources issues on that customer’s land related to soil, water, animals, plants, air, energy, and human interaction,” said NRCS. “The conservation plan includes tools and resources customized specifically for each customer, like a land use map, soils information, photos, inventory of resources, economic costs and benefits, schedule of recommended practices, maintenance schedules, and engineering notes — all based on the producer’s goals and the resource needs.”
Of course, problem prevention is key. It’s better to prevent issues before they arise. But it’s important to correct when things go wrong, too. The NRCS is there to help with both. From wildlife to water quality, and much more, the NRCS provides conservation planning and financial assistance to ensure America’s agricultural and wild places thrive for the long haul.
