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:

  • One of the benefits NRCS brings to Tribes is the ability to fund the development and aid with the planning of a Forest Management Plan. The FMP is a site-specific plan developed based on the Tribal management objectives and the professional expertise of a skilled forester to achieve long-term forest management goals. The NRCS administers the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides funding for the development of FMPs.

    • Already have a plan? NRCS can work with existing Tribal Forest Plans or Integrated Resource Plans.

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

    CPAs produce conservation plans that document participant objectives, existing resource concerns, and participant decisions regarding conservation practices and activities that will be used to address identified resource concerns. CPAs are:

    • Provided by a Technical Service Provider (TSP) with appropriate certification in NRCS Registry.

    • Consistent with steps 1-7 of the NRCS conservation planning process.

    A Forest Management Plan is an example of a CPA.

  • CTA provides land users with one-on-one advice, proven conservation technologies, and the delivery system needed to achieve the benefits of a healthy and productive landscape. NRCS offers this assistance at no cost to the producers they serve. Their goal is to provide customers personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to help them make informed decisions. Technical assistance can be provided directly by an NRCS employee or by contracting with an NRCS approved Technical Service Provider (TSP).

    For more help, contact Kathy Ferge, Coordinator, ITC Braided Canopy Initiative, 541-571-3815 or kathy.ferge@icloud.com.

  • Conservation Practice Standards (CPS) are the official NRCS technical documents that define the minimum science based criteria for planning, designing, installing, and maintaining each conservation practice. Each standard outlines what the practice is, why and where it is applied, and the quality requirements needed for it to function as intended. CPS ensure that conservation work across the country is delivered with consistency, technical integrity, and measurable benefits to soil, water, air, plants, animals, and energy resources. 

    Forest Stand Improvement (666) is an example of a CPS

    Forest Stand Improvement (Ac.) (666) description

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  • FSA

    The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests.

    NRCS

    The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, and non-industrial private forestland. Practices can include:

    • Immediate soil erosion protection

    • Minimizing noxious and invasive plant proliferation

    • Protecting water quality

    • Restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management

    • Emergency animal mortality management.

    If you are an agricultural producer affected by a disaster, please contact your local NRCS office.

    • Regenerative Pilot Program

      The new Regenerative Pilot Program delivers a streamlined, outcome-based conservation model—empowering producers to plan and implement whole-farm regenerative practices through a single application. Producers can now bundle multiple regenerative practices into one application, streamlining the process and increasing flexibility for operations. The program is designed for both beginning and advanced producers, ensuring availability for all farmers ready to take the next step in regenerative agriculture.

“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.