USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

WHO WE ARE

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. NRCS puts 87 years of experience to work in assisting owners of America's private land with conserving their soil, water, and other natural resources. Local, state and federal agencies and policymakers also rely on our expertise. We deliver technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. Cost share and financial incentives are available in some cases. Most work is done with local partners. Participation in our programs is voluntary.

Helping People Help the Land is what drives us to achieve our vision for Vermont, each and every day at NRCS.

NRCS combines the authorities formerly assigned to the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and additional programs that provide financial assistance for natural resource conservation. SCS was established in 1935 to carry out a continuing program of soil and water conservation in partnership with local conservation districts. In 1994, the Secretary of Agriculture reorganized SCS with a new name and broader responsibilities, using the authority provided in the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994.

Most of the nearly 9,000 NRCS employees work in nearly 2,900 field offices across the Nation, providing services directly to our customers. Field office employees provide the technical expertise that enables land managers to balance their economic goals with the needs of the natural environment, creating sustainable systems that not only produce abundant crops and livestock, but also a quality environment. Field office staff work side-by-side with employees of the local conservation district and State conservation agency.

NRCS Vermont is led by the State Conservationist, who is supported by members of the core Leadership Team. Headquartered within the Colchester NRCS State Office, the Leadership Team works with technical and administrative specialists to assist field staff by providing technical information, training, outreach support, and oversight of conservation planning and practices.

The NRCS Vermont goals are achieved through the efforts of the Leadership Team, NRCS staff, and conservation partners located throughout the state in ten NRCS field offices. The state is divided into four NRCS zones, each led by an NRCS District Conservationist and each zone has a varying number of field staff.

This 22-minute video highlights the amazing farmers in Vermont who are going above and beyond to protect soil and water, and employees from the VT Agricultural Water Quality Partnership who are working hard to support these exemplary stewards of the land.

BALANCING HEALTHY WATERWAYS & FARM OPERATIONS

The 2018 Farm Bill was enacted on December 20, 2018. A new Farm Bill is passed roughly every five years. The federal government reviews the food and farm landscape and renews an enormous omnibus bill, which we call the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill continues its strong support for conservation efforts of farmers through reauthorization and expanded flexibility of NRCS conservation programs.

NRCS offers financial and technical assistance through conservation practices, activities and enhancements offered through a suite of Farm Bill programs to help agricultural producers make and maintain improvements on their land.

Many of the services that we provide address water quality on private lands and farms. While our programs and services are not regulatory in nature, our assistance can help farmers in meeting Vermont’s Required Ag Practices (RAPs).

WHY CONSERVATION MATTERS IN VERMONT

Check out the VT NRCS YouTube video for spotlights on our state’s amazing stewards of the land.

CONTACT
Navigate the staff directory on the Vermont NRCS Local Offices Contact Directory.
STAY INFORMED

- GovDelivery! It’s a free instant delivery e-mail subscription service that enables subscribers to receive up-to-date notifications by e-mail when new information becomes available about any state or national NRCS topic you choose, including here in Vermont. Subscribe using this link or contact Quentin Melson. You can opt out at any time.
- Follow Vermont NRCS on Twitter for important program updates and more @VermontNRCS.

WHAT CONNECTS US TO VAWQP

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against increasing weather volatility. Applications accepted year around with batching dates announced.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP is now a standalone program with its own funding--$300 million annually. Moving forward, landowners and ag producers will enter into RCPP contracts and RCPP easements. See a map of Vermont RCPP projects here.

Enhanced Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) provision—NRCS may award up to 15 AFA projects, which are more grant-like and rely more on partner capacity to implement conservation activities.
Three funding pools reduced to two—the National pool was eliminated. Partners must apply to either the Critical Conservation Area (CCA) or State/Multistate funding pool.
Emphasis on project outcomes—all RCPP projects must now develop and report on their environmental outcomes.

EASEMENTS

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)Helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands, grasslands, and working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Under the Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) component, NRCS helps American Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) component, NRCS helps to restore, protect and enhance enrolled wetlands. Vermont has historically had a strong agricultural conservation easement program and to date has conserved 80,677 acres of farmland through 461 agricultural conservation easements utilizing $58.2 million in federal dollars.

CONSERVATION AT WORK VIDEO SERIES

Learn about the benefits of conservation practices directly from the farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners applying them with our new 90-second video series. For the full series, click here.

QUIZ: Can you spot the videos that were filmed in Vermont?

WHAT WE DO

STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

State Technical Committee: The Vermont USDA State Technical Committee (STC) provides information, analysis and recommendations on a wide variety of policy issues to NRCS. Although State Technical Committees have no implementation or enforcement authority, USDA gives strong consideration to the Committee's recommendations. You can learn more about the role of the VT NRCS State Technical Committee by reading this fact sheet. Also, you can subscribe to the Vermont NRCS State Technical GovDelivery listserv to be notified of upcoming committee meetings. The meetings are open to the public and are currently being hosted virtually.

TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS

Technical Service Providers (TSPs) offer services to agricultural producers such as farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners on behalf of NRCS. TSPs help these producers plan, design, and implement conservation practices or develop conservation activity plans to improve agricultural operations. TSPs include individuals, private businesses, American Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies. TSPs expand the number and availability of conservation technical experts capable of offering customized, one-on-one conservation advice to agricultural producers. Who Can Use a TSP? Agricultural producers participating in certain activities in NRCS conservation programs can hire a TSP.

WORKING WITH NEW FARMSFARMING 10 YEARS OR LESS

Working with New Farms (farming 10 years or less): At the forefront of our mission is the support we provide to farmers to help them start—and continue—farming. If you have been wondering where to start at USDA, this is the place for you, and don’t forget to check out the online Discovery Tool and RCA Data Viewer Tool!

FARMER'S GUIDE TO 2018 FARM BILL PROGRAMS

Farmers’ Guide to 2018 Farm Bill Programs for an at-a-glance view of programs and assistance available to farmers and ranchers from FSA, NRCS and RMA, through the 2018 Farm Bill. In addition, you can download the brochure in Spanish, Hmong, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

LOCALLY LED INITIATIVE

NRCS supports locally led conservation efforts through the state's Natural Resource Conservation Districts. Learn about the process here!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Check out the Vermont NRCS Website! Here you will find the latest news releases, program sign up info (including deadlines), a contact directory, success stories, and more!

Vermont NRCS works with private landowners and farmers to install conservation practices that help protect and improve natural resources.

Marquis Organic Dairy is located in the Upper Missisquoi Watershed, part of Vermont’s iconic, yet impaired, Lake Champlain Watershed. Just a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, the farm includes just under 250 acres of conserved land and organic pasture and hayland, in addition to 120 cows. Owned by Marc and and Tiffany Marquis, the couple purchased the farm from Marc’s uncle in 2011 and started their small, certified-organic dairy. Married since 2000, the couple is also raising two sons, ages eleven and fifteen. Marc emphasized that organic is a lifestyle choice for their family, stating, “It’s better for the soil, and benefits animal health.” The farm includes prime agricultural soils, nearly 6,000 feet of road frontage, and is traversed by over 3,000 feet of two tributaries of the Mud Creek. Marc turned to a host of conservation entities for guidance and support. “I knew I could do more,” he said. His conservation ethic, and the need to meet state regulations, motivated Marc to dive right into an alphabet soup of programs available from diverse entities. It takes a village, they say. Or in this case, a dedicated group of conservation partners who Marc says he has developed a relationship with, and a level of trust. With the assistance of the Vermont Agricultural Water Quality Partnership and their respective programs, the family installed a range of conservation practices to protect soil and water quality and permanently conserved two parcels, totaling 246 acres. The USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) was instrumental in pulling together the various players and program dollars.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING WITH YOU!

Have questions or comments about this orientation section?
Contact Quentin Melson, Public Affairs Specialist quentin.melson@usda.gov

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