Audit Remediation -Intro to NRCS .docx

Attachment 001:

Introduction to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Description of the Natural Resources Conservation Service

A. Background

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was established pursuant to P. L. 103-354, the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. § 6962). While NRCS activities benefit all of the people of the Nation, the primary customers are individuals who make decisions about natural resource use and management on non-Federal lands. They include farmers and ranchers and other members of the private sector who support production agriculture, units of government, and non-profit organizations. The technical and financial assistance products and services that NRCS provides are:

1. Conservation Planning and Technical Consultations. NRCS provides data, information, or technical expertise that helps customers collect and analyze information to identify natural resource programs and opportunities, clarify their objectives, and formulate and evaluate alternatives.

2. Conservation Implementation. NRCS helps customers install natural resource conservation practices and systems that meet established technical standards and specifications.

3. Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment. NRCS assesses, acquires, develops, interprets, and delivers natural resource data and information to enable knowledge-based planning and decision making at all landscape scales.

4. Natural Resource Technology Transfer. NRCS develops, documents, and distributes a wide array of technology pertaining to resources assessment, conservation planning and conservation system installation and evaluation.

5. Financial Assistance. NRCS provides cost share and monetary incentives to encourage the adoption of new and cost prohibitive land treatment practices that have been proven to provide significant public benefits. Financial assistance is awarded to participants who voluntarily enter into contracts, easements and agreements to conserve natural resources.

NRCS employees help customers take a comprehensive approach to the use and protection of soil, water, and related resources on private and non-Federal lands, in rural, suburban, urban, and developing areas. NRCS employees help people understand the natural processes that shape their environment and how to form partnerships with their neighbors in a common approach for a landscape that stretches beyond the boundaries of their farm or community.

NRCS assistance to individual landowners is provided cooperatively through conservation districts, which are units of local government created by State law. NRCS works in partnership with the State conservation agency and other State and local agencies such as resource conservation and development councils and locally elected farmer committees, Federal agencies, Tribal Governments, and private sector organizations.

Agency activities help sustain agricultural productivity and provide broader public benefits such as cleaner, safer, and more dependable water supplies; reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters; and enhance the natural resource base to support continued economic development and recreation.

B. Programs

NRCS helps people achieve these outcomes through the following authorized and funded programs of the Department of Agriculture:

Conservation Operations is authorized by the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935, P.L. 74-46 (16 U.S.C. § 590a-590f) and the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, (16 U.S.C. § 2001-2009). The purpose of Conservation Operations is to provide technical assistance supported by science-based technology and tools that help people conserve, maintain, and improve the Nation’s natural resources. Conservation Operations contains four sub-accounts: (1) Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), (2) Soil Surveys, (3) Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasts (SS/WSF), and (4) Plant Materials Centers (PMC):

1. Conservation Technical Assistance Program: The CTA Program is the cornerstone of all USDA conservation programs and serves to focus individuals and communities on natural resource issues that are of local, State, multi-State, and national concern. The CTA Program works in partnership with other cooperative conservation programs to leverage the Federal investment in order to achieve national priorities without duplicating local and State efforts. The CTA Program is the conservation foundation for the Nation’s private lands and Indian lands conservation assistance infrastructure and brings to bear the technical expertise to get sound conservation solutions applied on the ground.

Objectives of CTA are to:

· Provide conservation technical assistance to individuals or groups of decision makers, communities, conservation districts, units of State and local government, tribes, and others to voluntarily conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources.

· Provide collaborative community, watershed, and area-wide technical assistance with units of government, so they can develop and implement resource management plans that conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources.

· Provide conservation technical assistance to agricultural producers to comply with the Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland (Swampbuster) Conservation Compliance Provisions of the l985 Food Security Act, as amended by past and future Farm Bills.

· Provide conservation technical assistance to decision makers in order for them to comply with Federal, State, Tribal, and local environmental regulations and related requirements, and prepare them to become eligible to participate in other Federal, State, and local conservation programs.

· Provide soils information and interpretation to individuals or groups of decision makers, communities, States, and others to aid sound decision making in the wise use and management of soil resources.

· Collect, analyze, interpret, display, and disseminate information about the status, condition, and trend of soil, water, and related natural resources so that people can make informed decisions for natural resource use and management.

· Assess the effects of conservation practices and systems on the condition of natural resources.

· Develop, adapt, and transfer effective science-based technologies and tools for assessment, management, and conservation of natural resources.

2. Soil Surveys. NRCS helps people understand and use soils to their capability. Soil surveys provide the public with information on the capabilities and conservation treatment needs of their soil. Based on scientific analysis and classification of the soils, soil surveys are completed for a county or designated area and include maps and interpretations with explanatory information. Soil survey is the foundation of resource planning by land-users and for policy making for Federal, State, county, and local community programs. NRCS conducts soil surveys cooperatively with other Federal agencies, land grant universities, State agencies, and local units of government. The major objectives of soil surveys program are to:

· Inventory and map the soil resource on the non-Federal lands of the United States.

· Keep soil survey relevant to meet emerging and ever-changing needs.

· Interpret the data and make soil survey information available to meet public needs.

· Promote the soil survey and provide technical assistance in the use of soil information.

· Lead the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program.

3. Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasts. NRCS provides western States and Alaska with information on future water supplies. NRCS field staff collects and analyzes data on depth and water equivalent of the snowpack at more than 1,200 mountain sites and estimates annual water availability, spring runoff, and summer stream flows. These forecasts are used by individuals, Tribes, organizations, and State and Federal agencies for decisions relating to agricultural production, fish and wildlife management, municipal and industrial water supply, urban development, flood control, recreation power generation, and water quality management. The National Weather Service includes the forecasts in their river forecasting function. The objectives of the program are to:

· Provide water users with accurate forecasts of surface water supply within the first 5 working days of each month, January through June.

· Efficiently obtain, manage, and disseminate high quality information on snow, water, climate, and hydrologic conditions.

· Develop and apply new technology to meet changing needs of water users.

4. Plant Material Centers. The Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) identify, test, and evaluate the performance of native plants to solve natural resource problems including biomass production, carbon sequestration, erosion reduction, wetland restoration, water quality improvement, streambank and riparian area protection, coastal dune stabilization, air quality and other conservation treatment needs. Plant materials are used to restore the environment to healthy condition after natural disasters and human induced resource concerns. PMCs also evaluate and develop improved technologies for the production, establishment, and management of plants used in conservation systems. PMCs directly generate revenue for the national economy with the release of proven species to the private sector for commercial production and sales that results in over $100 million a year in revenue. The work at the 26 PMCs is carried out cooperatively with State and Federal agencies, universities, Tribes, commercial businesses, and seed and nursery associations.

Watershed Surveys and Planning authorized by the Watershed and Flood Prevention Act, P.L. 83-566, August 4, 1954 (16 U.S.C. § 1001-1008). Before 1996, small watershed planning activities and the cooperative river basin surveys and investigations authorized by Section 6 of the Act were operated as separate programs. The Fiscal Year 1996 Agriculture Appropriations Act combined the activities into a single program entitled the Watershed Surveys and Planning Program. Activities under both programs are continuing under this authority.

This program assists Federal, State, and local agencies and Tribal Governments protect watersheds from damage caused by erosion, floodwater, and sediment and to conserve and develop water and land resources. Resource concerns addressed by the program include water quality, opportunities for water conservation, wetland and water storage capacity, agricultural drought problems, rural development, municipal and industrial water needs, upstream flood damages, and water needs for fish, wildlife, and forest-based industries. Types of surveys and plans include watershed plans, river basin surveys and studies, flood hazard analyses, and flood plain management assistance. The focus of these plans is to identify solutions that use land treatment and structural and nonstructural measures to solve resource problems.

Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations. This includes Watershed Operations authorized by P.L. 78-534, the Flood Control Act of 1944 (33 U.S.C. § 701b-1), and Small Watersheds authorized by P.L. 83-566, as amended, (16 U.S.C. § 1001-1008).

Through these programs, NRCS cooperates with State and local agencies, Tribal Governments, and other Federal agencies to prevent damages caused by erosion, floodwater, and sediment and to further the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water and the conservation and utilization of land. The P.L. 566 program is available nationwide to protect and improve watersheds up to 250,000 acres in size. Currently, there are approximately 300 active small watershed projects throughout the country. P.L.78-534 is available only in areas authorized by Congress; these areas cover about 35 million acres in 11 States.

The objectives of the programs are to assist local sponsors in assessing conditions in their watershed, developing solutions to their problems, and installing necessary measures to alleviate the problems. Measures may include land treatment and structural and nonstructural measures. Federal cost sharing for installation of the measures is available; the amount depends upon the purposes of the project. Loans are available to help finance the local share of the cost. Rural and urban residents working through local organizations (such as county or municipal governments, soil and water conservation districts, not-for-profit organizations, or Tribal Governments) initiate a project by asking for assistance to solve a problem. State agencies review and approve local proposals and may provide financial and other assistance.

Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) is authorized by Section 216, P.L. 81-516, (33 U.S.C. § 701b-1) and Sections 403-405, P.L. 95-334 (16 U.S.C. § 2203-2205). The 1996 Farm Bill amended Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-334) (16 U.S.C. § 2203) by including the purchase of floodplain easements under the Emergency Watersheds Protection (EWP) Program.

EWP program reduces hazards to life and property in watersheds damaged by severe natural events. An emergency is considered to exist when a watershed is suddenly impaired by flood, fire, drought, or other natural causes that results in life and property being endangered by flooding, erosion, sediment discharge, or other associated hazards. The emergency area need not be declared a national disaster area to be eligible for assistance. During the past 10 years, the program has been used in an average of 36 States per year. Objectives of the program are to provide technical and financial assistance for disaster cleanup and subsequent rebuilding; stream corridor, wetland and riparian area restoration; and for urban planning and site location assistance to Federal Emergency Management Agency when relocating communities out of floodplains. Local people are generally employed on a short-term basis to assist with disaster recovery. Activities include establishing quick vegetative cover on denuded land, sloping steep land, and eroding banks; opening dangerously restricted channels; repairing diversions and levees; purchasing flood plain easements; and other emergency work.

Watershed Rehabilitation Program is authorized under section 14 of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act approved August 4, 1954, as amended by section 313 of P.L. 106-472, November 9, 2000. This program assists communities in addressing public health and safety concerns and environmental impacts of aging dams. Technical and financial assistance is provided for the planning, design, and implementation of rehabilitation projects that may include upgrading or removing the dams. The program may provide 65 percent of the total cost of the rehabilitation projects; Federal funds cannot be used for operation and maintenance. The program also allows communities to gain new benefits by adding municipal and irrigation water supplies, recreation, and wetland and wildlife enhancements.

Resource Conservation and Development Program (RC&D) is authorized by Section 102 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962 (P.L. 87-703), (7 U.S.C. § 1010-1011) and Sections 1528-1538 of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-98). Section 383 of the 1996 Farm Bill (P.L. 104-127) (16 U.S.C. § 3461) extended the RC&D program authority. Section 2504 of the 2002 Farm Bill removed the sunset provisions previously placed on this program. RC&D improves the capability of State and local units of government and local nonprofit organizations in rural areas to plan, develop, and carry out programs for resource conservation and development. RC&D plans may address land conservation, water management, community development, or other elements including energy conservation, protection of agricultural land, or protection of fish and wildlife habitats.

RC&D is initiated and directed at the local level by volunteers. A typical RC&D area encompasses multiple communities, various units of government, Tribes, municipalities, and grassroots organizations. The program serves as a catalyst for these civic groups to share knowledge and resources in a collective attempt to solve common problems facing their region. RC&D councils obtain assistance from the private sector, Tribes, corporations, foundations, and all levels of government.

Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) is authorized by Title V of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-148 for which NRCS received discretionary funding), as amended by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill), P.L. 110-246, authorized to be carried out from 2009 through 2012 with funding provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). HFRP assists landowners in restoring, enhancing, and protecting forest ecosystems on private lands to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species; improve biodiversity; and enhance carbon sequestration. The four HFRP enrollment options include a 10-year cost share agreement, a 30-year easement, a 30-year contract (for Indian Tribes only), and a permanent easement. Land enrolled in the HFRP must have a restoration plan that includes practices necessary to restore and enhance habitat for species listed as threatened or endangered or species or candidates for the threatened or endangered species list. All the options include cost-share payments for implementation of the required practices.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is authorized under Section 1237 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198), as amended. Funding is provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The 2008 Farm Bill reauthorized the WRP through calendar year 2012. This Act provided for a total acreage enrollment cap of 3,041,200 acres.

WRP preserves, protects, and restores eligible wetlands. Wetland restoration and protection improves wildlife habitat and water quality, and provides flood water retention, ground water recharge, open space, and aesthetic values. NRCS enrolls lands in this program in permanent easements, 30-year easements, and restoration cost-share agreements on private lands and acreage owned by Indian Tribes, giving priority to permanent easements. The 2008 Farm Bill also provided a new enrollment type of a 30-year contract for acreage owned by Indian Tribes. NRCS enters into easements and contracts with landowners of eligible wetlands and associated buffer areas, as well as riparian areas that link two protected wetlands. NRCS and the Fish and Wildlife Service provide technical assistance for the WRP.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was re-authorized by Section 2501 of the 2008 Farm Bill which amended the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended by the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Farm Bill) (P.L.104-127). The 1996 Farm Bill combined into a single program the functions of the Agricultural Conservation Program, the Great Plains Conservation Program, the Water Quality Incentives Program, and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program. NRCS is responsible for implementation of EQIP and associated financial reporting. CCC funds EQIP.

EQIP promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible national goals. The objective of the program is to provide technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who face the most serious threats to soil, water, and related natural resources, assisting them to make changes in cropping systems; grazing management; manure, nutrient, pest, or irrigation management; land use, or other measures needed to conserve soil, water, and related natural resources. Technical assistance, cost-share payments, incentive payments, and education are provided to producers in a manner that optimizes environmental benefits. Contract length is 1 year after completion of the last practice not to exceed 10 years. At least 60 percent of funding must be targeted to practices relating to livestock production.

NRCS establishes policies, priorities, and guidelines for the program and provides technical leadership and technical and financial assistance. Conservation districts and Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees assist with implementation; State Technical Committees offer advice on criteria and priorities.

Ground and Surface Water Program Conservation (GSWC) is authorized by Section 1240I of the 2002 Farm Bill, and was not re-authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. GSWC promotes ground and surface water conservation by providing cost-share payments and incentive payments to producers to carry out eligible water conservation activities with respect to agricultural producers to improve irrigation systems; enhance irrigation efficiencies; convert to less water-intensive agriculture or dryland farming; improve the storage of water through measures such as water banking and groundwater recharge; mitigate the effects of drought; or institute other measures that improve groundwater and surface water as determined by the Secretary, in the agricultural operations of the producers. A net savings in groundwater or surface water resources in the agricultural operation of the producer is a program requirement. NRCS establishes policies, priorities, and guidelines for the program and provides technical leadership and technical and financial assistance. Program operation is similar to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Ongoing GSWC contracts will be carried out using EQIP technical assistance funds as GSWC was originally authorized as a part of EQIP.

Klamath Basin is authorized by Section 1240I(c) (2) of the 2002 Farm Bill. The Klamath Basin program carries out water conservation activities in the Klamath Basin located in California and Oregon and was not re-authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. NRCS establishes policies, priorities, and guidelines for the program and provides technical leadership and technical and financial assistance. Program operation is similar to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Ongoing Klamath Basin contracts will be carried out using EQIP technical assistance funds as Klamath Basin was originally authorized as a part of EQIP.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is authorized under EQIP in the 2002 Farm Bill, and reauthorized funding from fiscal years 2009 through 2012 in Section 1240h of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Under CIG, competitive grants are awarded to eligible entities, including State and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation’s most pressing natural resource concerns.

Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is authorized by Section 2510 of the 2008 Farm Bill. AWEP is a voluntary conservation program that enables the use of resources of eligible partners and AWEP funds to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural lands. Eligible producers who participate in the project area identified in an approved partner agreement and who meet EQIP requirements may be approved for assistance. Under AWEP, NRCS enters into partnership agreements with eligible entities that want to promote ground and surface water conservation or improve water quality on agricultural lands. No Federal funding may be used to cover administrative expenses of partners. All Federal funds awarded will be paid to producers who enter into AWEP contracts for conservation practices approved by NRCS.

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). Section 2401 of the 2008 Farm Bill re-authorized the Farmland Protection Program originally authorized by the 1996 Farm Bill. The 2003 Final Rule renamed the program the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). FRPP keeps prime, unique, and other productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Eligible land includes farm or ranch land that has prime, unique, or other productive soil or contains historical or archaeological resources. NRCS partners with eligible State, local, Tribal and nongovernmental farmland protection programs for up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the conservation easement. The eligible entity must contribute a minimum of 25 percent of the purchase price of the easement in cash. There is no limit on the amount of the landowner donation. The conservation easements are held by the cooperating entity and NRCS holds a contingent right in the easement. To be eligible, land must be subject to a pending offer from an eligible entity. A conservation plan must be developed for any highly erodible cropland associated with the conservation easement.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is authorized by Section 1240N of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by Section 2502 of the 2002 Farm Bill. WHIP was reauthorized under Section 2602 of the 2008 Farm Bill. Originally authorized by Section 387 of the 1996 Farm Bill, WHIP develops habitat for upland wildlife, wetlands wildlife, threatened and endangered species, fish, and other types of wildlife. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to owners of private agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land, and tribal lands to improve wildlife habitat on their property. NRCS enters into cost share agreements for a minimum duration of one year after the completion of the conservation practices identified in the WHIP plan of operations, but not more than ten years, providing up to 75 percent of the funds needed to implement wildlife habitat development practices. The 2008 Farm Bill also authorizes NRCS to use up to 25 percent of total funds to provide additional cost-share assistance to landowners who enter into 15-year agreements for the purpose of protecting and restoring essential plant and animal habitat.

Conservation Security Program (CSP) is authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill. Title II, Subtitle A, Section 2001 amends the Food Security Act of 1985 by adding Chapter 2, Subchapter A, the Conservation Security Program. CSP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance for the conservation, protection, and improvement of natural resources on Tribal and private working lands. The program provides payments for producers who practice good stewardship on their agricultural lands and incentives for those who want to do more. Equitable access for all producers will be provided in all 50 States, the Caribbean Area, and the Pacific Basin Area, regardless of size of operation, crops produced or geographic location. CSP is a resource concern driven program, not conservation practice driven. The 2008 Farm Bill stipulated that a conservation security program contract may not be entered into or renewed after September 30, 2008. Payments shall be made on contracts entered before September 30, 2008 using such sums as are necessary.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) was authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, which amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the program in fiscal years 2009 through 2012. The purpose of CStP is to encourage producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by (1) undertaking additional conservation activities; and (2) improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities. During the period beginning on October 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2017, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum extent practicable – “(1) enroll in the program an additional 12,769,000 acres for each fiscal year”; and “(2) manage the program to achieve a national average rate of $18 per acre, which shall include the costs of all financial assistance, technical assistance, and any other expenses associated with enrollment or participation in the program”.

Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) is authorized by Section 211 of the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-224). Subtitle I, Section 2801(b) (2) (ii) of the 2008 Farm Bill provides $15 million annually for financial assistance in 16 States, as determined by the Secretary, in which participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low. Financial assistance is provided through the CCC. The 16 States designated by the 2008 Farm Bill to participate in the program are Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. AMA provides financial assistance to producers to construct or improve water management structures or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or improve water quality. The program also offers financial assistance to mitigate crop failure risks through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, transition to organic farming or to develop and implement a plan to create marketing opportunities for the producer, including through value-added processing. AMA also provides financial assistance to producers to enter into futures, hedging, or options contracts in a manner designed to help reduce production, price, or revenue risk; and enter into agricultural trade options as a hedging transaction to reduce production, price, or revenue risk.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is authorized by Section 1238n of Title XII, of Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by section 2401 of the 2002 Farm Bill. GRP assists landowners in restoring and protecting grassland. The objective of this program is to enroll up to two million acres in permanent easements, 30-year easements, or for the maximum duration allowed under State or Tribal law. The program participant may enroll in a 10-, 15-, or 20- year rental agreement in lieu of an easement. The program participant may enroll in a restoration agreement to restore the functions and values of the grassland.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program (CBWP) is authorized by Section 1240Q of the Food Security Act, as added by the 2008 Farm Bill. Section 1240Q established the CBWP and defined the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to mean all tributaries, backwaters, and side channels, including their watersheds, draining into the Chesapeake Bay. This area includes portions of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The CBWP helps agricultural producers improve water quality and quantity, and restore, enhance, and preserve soil, air, and related resources in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through the implementation of conservation practices. These conservation practices reduce soil erosion and nutrient levels in ground and surface water, improve, restore, and enhance wildlife habitat and help address air quality and related natural resource concerns.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a CCC program administered by Farm Services Agency. NRCS performs technical assistance for their program and is reimbursed for our work.

Technical Service Provider Assistance is authorized under section 1242 of the 1985 Food Security Act, as amended by the 2002 Farm Bill. Section 2701 of the 2002 Farm Bill amended Section 1242 of the Food Security Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical assistance under the Food Security Act Title XII conservation programs to a producer eligible for that assistance “directly … or at the option of the producer, through a payment … to the producer for an approved third party, if available.” Section 2706 of the 2008 Farm Bill further amended Section 1242 adding a third option to provide assistance to an eligible participant “through an agreement with a third party provider” and added the AMA to the list of eligible programs. Section 1242 requires that USDA establish a system for approving individuals and entities to provide technical assistance to carry out conservation programs, and establish the amounts and methods for payments for that assistance. Technical assistance includes conservation planning and conservation practice implementation.

The Secretary of Agriculture delegated authority to implement Section 1242 to NRCS. NRCS implementation objectives of the provision include: (1) policy, procedures, and processes that provide efficient, effective, and timely technical services; (2) a process where conservation program participants can take full advantage of the marketplace and obtain cost-effective delivery of quality technical services; and (3) technical services that are provided in a manner that optimizes conservation benefits. Assistance through technical service providers expands NRCS ability to provide products and services that enable people to be good stewards of the Nation’s soil, water, and related natural resources on non-Federal land.

Other Farm Bill Initiatives authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill include Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI), Conservation of Private Grazing Land (CPGL) and Socially Disadvantaged Ranchers and Beginning Farmers (SDRBR). Under CCPI, NRCS enters into partnership agreements with eligible entities that want to enhance conservation outcomes on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands. CPGL Initiative will ensure technical, educational, and related assistance is provided to those who own private grazing lands, but is not currently funded. SDRBR is funded thorough EQIP and CSP and provides voluntary participation, offers incentives, and focuses on the equity in accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and services.

Workforce Status and Location. As of September 30, 2008, NRCS had nearly 12,000 full-time employees with permanent appointments. Of this total, 463 employees are located in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area and 11,251 employees are located outside of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

C. Organizational Structure

NRCS is a line and staff organization. The line authority begins with the Chief and extends through the Regional Chiefs, State conservationists, area conservationists, and is finally vested with district conservationists. Line officers provide direct assistance to the public. Staff positions furnish specialized technical or administrative assistance to line officers. The following is a brief description of the principal functions at the field, State and national levels of NRCS.

Field Offices. Most NRCS employees provide front-line, personalized, one-on-one customer service from 2,865 field offices. About 88 percent of these offices (2,534) are in USDA service centers; the rest are program delivery offices generally located with conservation districts. NRCS employees in these offices provide customers with technical and financial assistance through the agency’s five business lines; as a result of this help, customers solve or prevent natural resources problems on their land and in their communities. Field office staff work side-by-side with employees of the local conservation districts and State conservation agencies. These offices function as a clearinghouse for natural resources information, helping people gain access to knowledge and assistance available from local, State, regional, and national sources. Field offices are located in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Basin Area serving Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

Other Field-Located Offices. NRCS has 953 other field-located offices that provide customer service or technical and administrative support to field offices. The other field-located offices include: (1) Area offices that provide administrative and technical support to a group of field offices (these offices are generally used in larger States); (2) Project offices that are headquarters for watershed or river basin planning and construction activities; (3) Soil survey offices that inventory and map the soil resource on private lands resulting in current and consistent interpretations and data sets; (4) Plant Material Centers that test, select, and release plants for conservation purposes in selected plant growth regions throughout the United States; and (5) Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) offices that provide support and coordinate activities of the RC&D sponsors.

State Offices. These offices provide State level program planning and direction, consistency and accountability, and administration of a comprehensive soil, water, and related resource conservation program for each State, Pacific Basin and Caribbean Area. State offices also have the responsibility for the technical integrity of the NRCS activities; technology transfer and training; marketing of the agency programs and initiatives; and administrative operations and processing. State offices partner with other Federal and State agencies to provide solutions to State resource issues. A State Conservationist heads the NRCS organization in each of the 50 States; a director heads the NRCS organization in the Caribbean Areas.

National Headquarters (NHQ). NRCS assumes the Departmental leadership for programs and other activities assigned by the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. The Chief, with the assistance of the Associate Chief and Deputy Chiefs, carries out NHQ functions of planning, formulation and direction of NRCS programs, budgets, and activities; development of program policy, budgets, procedures, guidelines and standards; leadership and coordination with other agencies, constituent groups and organizations; workload assessment and operations management; conducting oversight and evaluation activities and coordination of corrective actions; and strategic planning and the development of strategic initiatives.

NHQ is responsible for the framework for national technology development and delivery within the agency. Natural resource technology is developed and delivered through six national headquarters divisions, six national centers (cartography and geospatial; design, construction and soil mechanics; plant data; soil survey; water management; and water and climate), and three National Technology Support Centers that provide technological direct assistance and technology transfer to States and the Pacific Basin and Caribbean Areas and to acquire and/or develop new science and technology in order to provide cutting-edge technological support. These centers also develop and maintain national technical standards and other technological procedures and references.

D. Information Technology

NRCS uses the USDA Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS) (which is a CGI, Inc. (formerly AMS) Federal Financial System) to support its financial operations and reporting. FFIS is a fully integrated financial package providing the following functions: budget and funds control, cost allocation, general ledger, spending, disbursement, and accounts receivable. FFIS is maintained and supported by staff in New Orleans, Louisiana. Feeder systems include: General Services Administration (GSA) Motorpool System, Telephone System (TELE), Utility Vendor System (UTVN), GovTrip, Travel System (TRVL), Integrated Acquisition System (IAS), Corporate Property Automated Information System (CPAIS), Automated Billings and Collections System (ABCO), and the U.S. Bank SmartPay 2 System for purchase and fleet cards.

NRCS uses two agency-specific applications to process and report on financial data: ProTracts/Fund Manager and WebTCAS. ProTracts is used to manage the conservation cost share and incentive contracts. Specifically program participants may complete and submit program contract applications via the Internet. ProTracts entries are transmitted nightly into FFIS for processing payments and preparing NRCS and Department financial statements. Application and database servers for the ProTracts system are hosted by the Office of the Chief Information Officer – Information Technology Service (OCIO-ITS) USDA Web Farms situated in Fort Collins, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri. WebTCAS is a web-based time and attendance system that enables employees to record actual hours worked by program and activity. Application and database servers for the WebTCAS system are hosted by OCIO-ITS USDA Web Farms situated in Fort Collins, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri and State program managers use ProTracts to allocate and track funds to States, counties, and special emphasis area. And ProTracts enables NRCS State office employees and field conservationists to create and manage contracts, certify completed practices, and request contract payments. Payment requests are initiated in ProTracts and transmitted nightly into FFIS for processing payments and preparing NRCS and Department financial statements.

As a component agency of USDA, NRCS is subject to USDA direction and system requirements. USDA launched the Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI) to modernize the departmental and agency financial and administrative payment and program general ledger systems by converting all agencies to the Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 6.0 in a phased approach with the first deployment occurring October 2009. Per USDA direction, NRCS is scheduled to convert from FFIS to the SAP ERP 6.0 product in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012.