Natural Resources Conservation Service

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Agency overview
Formed	September 13, 1933
Preceding agency	Soil Conservation Service, Soil Erosion Service
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Employees	Approx 11,000
Agency executive	Terry Cosby, Chief
Parent agency	Department of Agriculture
Website	www.nrcs.usda.gov

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.

Its name was changed in 1994 during the presidency of Bill Clinton to reflect its broader mission. It is a relatively small agency, currently comprising about 12,000 employees.^[1] Its mission is to improve, protect, and conserve natural resources on private lands through a cooperative partnership with state and local agencies. While its primary focus has been agricultural lands, it has made many technical contributions to soil surveying, classification, and water quality improvement.^[2][3] One example is the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), set up to quantify the benefits of agricultural conservation efforts promoted and supported by programs in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill). NRCS is the leading agency in this project.