70th Anniversary of NRCS

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader or Microsoft PowerPoint.

"Conservation Day" Resolution by Governor Taft (144 Kb)
Conservation Milestones, April 2005 (420 Kb)
The Dust Bowl and Beyond (14 Mb)

On April 27th, 1935, the Soil Conservation Act was passed establishing the Soil Conservation Service.  This national soil conservation program gave authority to extend the early demonstration projects aimed at reducing soil erosion to the rest of the country. 

In 1937, additional legislation was passed to authorizing the formation of Conservation Districts in states.  These districts are typically county based and governed by a board of local residents, usually farmers.  The board members provide input on how federal conservation assistance can be used to address local natural resource concerns. 

In 1994, the Soil Conservation Service was renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service to reflect the assistance provided to private landowners and others for conserving all natural resources.

Today, NRCS has over 2,700 field offices in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Pacific Basin.  Over 3000 Conservation Districts provide the foundation of the locally led process used to address natural resource issues.  In Ohio, 75 NRCS field offices and 88 Conservation District offices work together to assist private landowners protect and conserve Ohio's rich natural resource base.

For more information about the history of NRCS, visit the NRCS national website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/seventiethannv.html.  Historic photos of soil erosion can be found on the national NRCS photo gallery at http://photogallery.nrcs.usda.gov.