NRCS Supports Soil and Water Protection

By Scout Nelson

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service in South Dakota reports a strong fiscal year 2025. The agency works to help farmers and ranchers protect land, improve soil health, and strengthen water quality across the state.

In FY25, NRCS staff develop more than 3,500 conservation plans that cover over 2.5 million acres. These plans guide farmers on how to improve land use, reduce soil loss, and grow crops in a better way. Almost half of the staff are level 3-certified conservation planners. These planners complete training, work with mentors, and show strong skill in writing and approving conservation plans.

Jim Dylla is one of the experienced planners who has worked with farms and ranches for over 26 years. He shares that good conservation planning happens in the field with farmers.
 
“Conservation planning is done best in the field, talking to the producer and asking questions,” Dylla says. “Sometimes the producers don’t realize what goals or problems they have— by spending time with them on their land, you will get a better understanding of what goals they hope to obtain, and the conservation challenges they need to overcome to achieve their goals. From my experience, the more involved the producer is during the conservation planning process, the more ownership they will take in the conservation being installed, resulting in a successful outcome.”

NRCS also offers financial help to landowners who want to apply conservation practices. In FY25, farmers enroll more than 1.2 million acres into conservation programs. These include EQIP, CSP, RCPP, and ACEP programs. These efforts support farm production while improving land care.

More than $128.7 million is approved for conservation projects that also support local jobs and business growth. Demand funding remains high, and not all applicants receive support. NRCS continues to accept funding applications for FY26 until January 15, 2026.

NRCS invites farmers, ranchers, and land managers to visit their local office for free advice and support.

Photo Credit: usda-nrcs