NHQ Contact: Sylvia Rainford (202) 720-2536

NRCS Unveils New Strategic Plan

Plan addresses new natural resource concerns such as energy and air quality

WASHINGTON, MAY 22, 2006—U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight today released the agency’s new strategic plan, which outlines the long-term goals, objectives and strategies to achieve effective results for productive lands and a healthy environment.

“This plan sets the direction for NRCS and lays out forward-looking conservation priorities and goals,” Knight said. “Our nation’s farmers and ranchers are the best stewards of the land, and this strategic plan outlines how our agency will effectively serve them, while ensuring a healthy environment for all Americans.”

Hard copies of the “Productive Lands—Healthy Environment” are 1-888-LANDCARE.

This strategic plan outlines the agency’s vision of productive lands and a healthy environment. It describes agency activities that will contribute to sustaining natural resources in the coming decades. This plan provides measurable objectives associated with each goal and outcome.

NRCS remains committed to high quality, productive soils; clean and abundant water; and healthy plant and animal communities through its Foundation Goals. However, it also introduced emerging natural resource concerns in the form of Venture Goals for air quality, an adequate energy supply, and working farms and ranch lands. NRCS plans to expand its role in these areas under the new plan.

NRCS activities will be guided by three overarching strategies—the watershed approach, a market-based approach and cooperative conservation—as the agency works to achieve the six goals.

All programs and services of the Natural Resources Conservation Service are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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