Get started with NRCS

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) staff are available in every county throughout the US and are just a phone call away – we can help you start the process! 

USDA Service Centers are offices where you can meet face-to-face with NRCS staff to discuss your vision, goals, and ways that USDA programs can help.

Every local office will be slightly different; their projects will be different based on geography and funding in their state. Typically, you will first work with your county-level NRCS office.

NRCS staff will work with Tribes of all sizes, in both rural and urban environments—including federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes.

Resources from NRCS go beyond funding.

You can draw on their technical expertise to meet interconnected management goals. NRCS employs natural resource professionals, such as soil conservationists, biologists, foresters, and engineers. These professionals can help you with:

  • (If you don't already have one)

  • This includes prescribed burning, reestablishment of natural systems, agroforestry practices, and design and implementation activities.

“Once your tribe has determined it will work with NRCS, the next step is actually with the USDA Farm Services Agency for program enrollment. FSA offers its own suite of opportunities for tribes. Fostering a relationship with FSA allows tribes to position themselves to respond faster when disasters hit, to reclaim and consolidate land, and to invest in the long-term health of their forests and communities.”

—Kathy Ferge, Braided Canopy coordinator

Step-by-step

  • Find your local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov/service-locator.

  • Bring your Tribe's goals to your local NRCS office. Your local Service Center staff can work with you to develop a Forest Management Plan.

    • Discuss your business and conservation goals: Your local NRCS team members can suggest the right programs for your needs by first understanding your vision for your land. For example, are you looking for access to capital, to rebuild after a natural disaster, or do you want to improve your land’s soil health, save water, or attract more wildlife?

    • Schedule a site visit. Depending on your objectives and timeline, schedule a site visit on your land with a member of your field office to learn more about your operation and develop your conservation plan.

    • Get a copy of your receipt. When you apply for a program or get assistance at your local office, they will create a Receipt for Service document that serves as a record for your interaction and visit with the office.

Get in touch

All work done with NRCS is voluntary and free. NRCS is not a regulatory agency, and all information shared with NRCS for conservation planning purposes is strictly confidential.