NRCS_Private landowner partnership

NRCS_Private landowner partnership

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Jimmy Bramblett, NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs, says everyone can take advantage of the benefits of conservation.

Jimmy Bramblett of the Natural Resources Conservation Service explains how his agency's funding opportunities work. "There's a joint payment associated with NRCS financial assistance. Part of that is federal funds. And those federal funds are designed to offer an incentive for landowners to adopt certain conservation practices. But those landowners also have to put their own financial investment into those conservation practices as well. So why would any ag producers want to participate? the logic there is Because that landowner is going to realize benefits from those practices to enhance and sustain their operations if we can get them to begin employing those transportation practices and see the benefits of those and then carry those on after the financial investment from the federal government goes away. Meanwhile, what's in it for NRCS? The logic for the federal government to put money into it and get back to that concept that many of these natural resources are public goods that we all enjoy? They’re a mixture of private goods and public goods.

We enjoy getting out of the big urban areas and going out, seeing wildlife and recharging our batteries, hiking, boating, kayaking, those type of recreational activities, and then we all benefit from the safest, most dependable, reliable, cheapest food supply in the world as a result of the wetlands conservation efforts. So therein lies some of the logic in the background and the rationale behind all of this being voluntary. And even with it being voluntary, I should say, the demand for our services far outweighs both in terms of technical assistance and financial assistance far outweighs our ability to satisfy that demand. So it's a really, really positive construct all across the country.

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