Habitat Conservation
Assistance Network
Proactive Conservation for Working Lands

The owners and managers of lands in Texas, through their conservation efforts, provide a wealth of environmental and social benefits to all. These include clean water and air, healthy wildlife habitat, open space, food and fiber, and sustainable rural and urban communities.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a federal agency that works hand-in-hand with the people of Texas to improve and protect their soil, water and other natural resources. For decades, private landowners have voluntarily worked with NRCS specialists to prevent erosion, improve water quality and promote sustainable agriculture.

NRCS employs numerous occupational disciplines including soil conservationists, rangeland management specialists, soil scientists, agronomists, biologists, engineers, geologists, engineers, and foresters. These experts help landowners develop conservation plans, create and restore wetlands and restore and manage other natural ecosystems.

NRCS was initially focused on preventing soil erosion on America's farmland. Over the years Americans have become concerned with a broader array of natural resource issues. In response, NRCS has broadened its technical services in order to provide science-based solutions to address America's ever-changing environmental concerns. While farmers and ranchers remain the primary customers of NRCS, the agency also provides technical assistance to city planners, watershed groups, state and local governments and civic organizations.

NRCS has a unique partnership with soil and water conservation districts. All 217 soil and water conservation districts in Texas have working mutual agreements with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grassroots input to USDA through NRCS. Local soil and water conservation district boards of supervisors are composed of five elected officials. They are organized statewide, often following county boundaries and are generally collocated with NRCS in USDA Service Centers.

The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) is the State agency that administers Texas' soil and water conservation law and offers technical assistance to the Sate's soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs). The Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD) is a chartered, tax exempt, non-profit organization of soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) in Texas. The purpose of the organization is to promote SWCDs through educational, scientific, charitable and religious activities.

Contact National Resources Conservation Service - Texas

Listed as:

• Government Agencies