Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Mission NRCS is an agency committed to “helping people help the land”—our mission is to provide resources to farmers and landowners to aid them with conservation. Ensuring productive lands in harmony with a healthy environment is our priority.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was created in 1935 to assist individuals and groups in identifying and solving conservation problems on private lands through a partnership with local conservation districts. The NRCS, with help from its partners, continues to help clients prepare conservation plans for the lands they make decisions on. The process is voluntary and participatory. Each client serves as the final decision maker throughout the process. What is a Conservation Plan? A Conservation Plan is a written record of your management decisions and the conservation practices and systems you plan to use, develop, and maintain on your farm or ranch. Carrying out your plan will help achieve the goals of protecting the environment and your natural resources. After soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources are inventoried and evaluated, the NRCS conservation planner will review and offer possible alternatives for you to consider. The alternatives you decide are recorded in a conservation plan, which becomes the road-map to help you achieve your goals and maintain the resources of your land. What is in a Conservation Plan?
An aerial photo or diagram of your farm
A map of the soils on your farm and descriptions of those soils
Information on grasses, trees, and broad-leafed plants that grow on your farm
Resource inventory data which can include crop production potential, engineering designs and support data, and potential livestock and wildlife carrying capacity
The location and schedule for applying conservation practices
A plan of operation and maintenance for conservation systems of practices
Job sheets and fact sheets
How it Helps the LandConservation of the natural resources (soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources) is important to the future of Minnesota. NRCS can provide help with such issues as animal waste management, water quality, soil erosion, grazing land management, engineering, and other conservation needs. How it Helps YouHealthy private land is America's strength. Healthy working land is the foundation of a prosperous American agriculture industry, the cornerstone of environmental quality, and the core of healthy communities.
Michigan NRCS Programs NRCS's natural resources conservation programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. Public benefits include enhanced natural resources that help sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality while supporting continued economic development, recreation, and scenic beauty.
For more information about NRCS Michigan programs please visit: