Plans to streamline USDA conservation programs
Farm and Ranch November 25, 2010 The chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service says the agency’s number of customers doubled between 2005 and 2009. Dave White told a recent Congressional hearing that despite more customers NRCS has fewer technical service providers to work with those farmers and ranchers. So there is a big push to streamline the operation, especially the administrative stuff, that farmers, ranchers and conservation workers would have to deal with. White listed some possibilities. White: “Integrating all our tools into one desktop icon to eliminating the duplicate entry of data, to establishing a client gateway on the web where a farmer or rancher can sit at home and apply for a program. They can look at their contract and if they are do a payment where it is in the process. They can look at their conservation plan. These kinds of things are going to have a huge impact. Our goal is to free up 75% of our folks time to be in the field.” Some conservation programs are administered by NRCS and some by the Farm Service Agency. John Lohr, vice president of the National Association of FSA County Employees told the Congressional hearing what his group is recommending. Lohr: “All phases of conservation programs defined as administrative, like applications, contract maintenance and payments would be the responsibility of FSA. NRCS would be responsible for all phases of conservation programs defined as technical.” Lohr said that might let both agencies do what they do best. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
