Fiscal Year 2003: Performance Report U.S. Department of Agricultire Natural Resources Conservation Service

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About the Agency NRCS Responsibilities As the lead Federal agency for conserva- tion of natural resources on private land, NRCS is responsible for: • Helping individual land users to plan, apply, and maintain conservation sys- tems that are economically and environ- mentally sustainable. • Assisting units of government and com- munity groups to protect the environ- ment and improve the standard of living and quality of life for the people they represent. • Conducting inventories and assessing natural resource conditions and making this information available to the public for use in individual and community resource planning. • Developing and maintaining conserva- tion standards, specifications, and guidelines pertaining to conservation practices and water management sys- tems and making this technology avail- able to those who need it. NRCS Programs In FY 2003, NRCS activities were funded through 17 programs, each with its own authorizing legislation and annual appro- priation. These programs include: • Conservation Operations -- The four Conservation Operations programs (Conservation Technical Assistance, Soil Survey, Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting, and Plant Materials) are the core support for all NRCS programs and activities. Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) provides the infra- structure through which NRCS pro- vides assistance to conservation districts, develops technical standards and techni- cal guides, conducts resources invento- ries, and provides assistance to individuals and communities to plan and manage their natural resources. • The Resource Conservation and Development Program provides techni- cal assistance to Resource Conservation and Development Councils to plan, Fiscal Year 2003 Performance Report develop, and carry out projects that address land conservation, water man- agement, community development, and land management. Water Resources — NRCS's five water resources programs (Emergency Watershed Protection, Flood Prevention Operations, Small Watershed Operations, Watershed Planning, and Watershed Rehabilitation Program) focus on restoring the health of water- sheds through a comprehensive plan- ning approach. These programs assist communities to protect watersheds from damage caused by erosion, flood- water, and sediment, and to conserve and develop water and land resources. Farm Bill Programs — NRCS - adminis- tered Farm Bill programs include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Klamath Basin, Ground and Surface Water Conservation, the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and the Wetlands Reserve Program. All of these programs help participants plan and apply conservation to the land and provide financial assistance or incentives. Figure 1 shows the distribution of NRCS staff years among these program groups. NRCS Activities The primary services provided by staff in NRCS's field offices are assistance in developing conservation plans and in applying and maintaining the conserva- tion practices called for in those plans. The services NRCS technical staff provide to our customers produce the conserva- tion accomplishments reported here. Field office staff also administer pro- grams that provide financial incentives to land managers who implement conserva- tion. In FY 2003, while providing the planning and application assistance to pro- duce the accomplishments reported here,