Conservation District & NRCS

What is the difference between
a Conservation District
and the NRCS?

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Flood Irrigation

In 1935, the United States made an historic commitment to the stewardship of private land in the Soil Conservation Act. That Act, passed in the depths of the Dust Bowl, recognized that the long-term welfare of all Americans rested in the hands of farmers and ranchers struggling to keep their land from eroding away. The Act charged the Soil Conservation Service to deliver assistance to farmers, ranchers, and other private landowners. The Soil Conservation Service, now called Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is an agency of the Department of Agriculture.

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Cowabunga!

From the outset of federal involvement in soil and water conservation, national leaders recognized that something was missing–local involvement and support. The Soil Conservation Act foresaw this need and authorized the new Soil Conservation Service (originally called the Soil Erosion Service) "to cooperate and enter into agreements with, or to furnish financial or other aid to, any agency, governmental or otherwise..."

Using this authority, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials drafted a Standard State Soil Conservation Districts law, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent to state governors in February, 1937. Roosevelt urged the states to pass laws based on this model, stating that "to supplement the federal programs, and safeguard their results, state legislation is needed."

The first conservation district was formed in Anson County, North Carolina, in 1937. Within a few years, more than half of the Nation had been organized into districts, and today they cover nearly all of the Nation's privately owned land.

There are 27 conservation districts in Nevada, all involved in cooperative projects with federal, state, and local agencies, and other groups. The districts are legal subdivisions of state government that are self-governed by locally elected supervisors who set priorities for their area. In Churchill County, there are two districts, Lahontan and Stillwater. Lahontan has a full-time resource specialist, Joann Hanks, and Stillwater has a clerk. Each district receives a small amount of funding from the State, and must depend upon cooperator dues, equipment rental programs, and grants for additional support. Districts statewide are involved in projects such as mine reclamation, plant materials trials, riparian area restoration, water quality projects, and range improvement projects.