What Natural Resources Conservation Service does

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), established in 1935 (originally as the Soil Conservation Service) to deliver science-based conservation assistance nationwide. It serves farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners through a network of approximately 2,300 Service Centers, providing both technical assistance (planning, engineering design, soil and resource assessments) and financial assistance through cost-share and easement programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).\n\nNRCS operates a suite of digital tools that constitute its core technical infrastructure. The Web Soil Survey provides public access to the National Cooperative Soil Survey's soil classification data and mapping products. Engineering Field Tools, supplemented by WinTR-20 and WinTR-55, support hydrologic modeling, runoff estimation, and conservation engineering design. Customer portals such as Conservation Client Gateway and Farmers.gov provide self-service access to program applications, while Geospatial Data Gateway and Snow Survey & Water Supply Monitoring deliver climatological and water-supply data. The agency's funding model is government appropriations: it receives Congressional budget authority, including substantial multi-year allocations under the Inflation Reduction Act, and channels funds to landowners via cost-share and easement contracts rather than earning commercial revenue.\n\nThe agency is led by Chief Matthew Lorr with Ray Coleman serving as Chief Information Officer, and reports to the USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Its governance is reinforced by statutory authority under the Farm Bill, partnerships with state and local agencies, and interagency collaboration with bodies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and APHIS, including recent expansions into regenerative agriculture, carbon MRV, organic and urban agriculture, and feral swine eradication.

Name

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Legal name

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Website

https://nrcs.usda.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NRCS is a USDA federal agency delivering science-based conservation technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners nationwide through ~2,300 Service Centers and digital tools such as Web Soil Survey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Appropriations: NRCS is funded through Congressional appropriations as part of the USDA budget. The agency provides free technical assistance to agricultural producers and administers financial assistance programs for conservation practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NRCS is a federal agency within the USDA that delivers voluntary conservation technical assistance and cost-share financial assistance programs to agricultural producers, helping them plan and apply soil, water, wildlife, woodland, and range conservation practices on private working lands. It operates through a nationwide network of approximately 2,300 USDA Service Centers in partnership with state conservation agencies, conservation districts, and Technical Service Providers.

Product overview

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers a comprehensive suite of conservation programs and digital tools for agricultural producers. The core offerings include financial assistance programs (EQIP, CSP, ACEP, RCPP) that provide funding for conservation practices, combined with technical services like Conservation Technical Assistance and the TSP Registry. Digital tools include the Web Soil Survey for map-based soil data, Energy Estimator Tools suite (Animal Housing, Irrigation, Nitrogen, Tillage), Engineering Field Tools (SET, WDT, TDT, HFT), WinTR-20 and WinTR-55 watershed hydrology tools, and WIN-PST pesticide screening tool. Additional resources include the PLANTS Database, Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program, and Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory services. The Regenerative Pilot Program and Conservation Innovation Grants support innovative conservation approaches. Programs are accessible through approximately 2,300 Service Centers nationwide and via the Conservation at Work video series educational resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Technical Assistance Free, individualized conservation planning and field-level technical advice delivered by NRCS staff and partners to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners across approximately 2,300 Service Centers.
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Financial assistance program providing cost-share and incentive payments to agricultural producers for implementing structural and management conservation practices that address soil, water, air, and wildlife resource concerns.
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) NRCS program that pays producers for actively managing and expanding conservation activities across their entire agricultural operation through five-year stewardship contracts.
• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) NRCS financial assistance program that funds conservation easements on agricultural land and wetlands to safeguard their long-term viability and ecological value.
• Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) NRCS program that funds partner-led conservation projects at the watershed or regional scale, combining federal funding with partner contributions to address priority resource concerns.
• Web Soil Survey (WSS) Online soil information system that provides users with access to the largest natural resource information system in the world, producing printable soil maps and soil property reports for defined land areas.
• Engineering Field Tools (EFT) Suite of proprietary NRCS design tools including the Survey Engineering Tool (SET), Grassed Waterway Design Tool (WDT), Terrace Design Tool (TDT), and Hydraulic Formulas Tool (HFT) used to plan and design conservation practices.
• Energy Estimator Tools Online calculators that estimate energy use and potential savings for animal housing, irrigation pumping, nitrogen use, and tillage operations, enabling producers to evaluate conservation practice benefits.
• Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting NRCS program that collects and analyzes high-elevation snowpack data to produce water supply forecasts for western U.S. states, supporting agricultural water management and flood/drought response.
• Plant Materials Centers Program NRCS network of plant materials centers that evaluate and release plant species and seed sources for use in conservation practices such as erosion control, streambank stabilization, and forage production.
• Soil Health Initiative Cross-program NRCS effort that provides producers with technical and financial assistance to adopt soil health practices, including cover crops, no-till, and residue management.
• Working Lands for Wildlife NRCS initiative that pairs technical and financial assistance with producers to conserve habitat for at-risk wildlife species on agricultural and forest working lands.
• Conservation Planning Service Standardized NRCS process that produces a site-specific conservation plan documenting resource concerns and the practices a producer will implement to address them.
• Technical Service Providers (TSP) Registry NRCS registry and certification program that enables qualified third-party providers to deliver conservation technical assistance to producers and be reimbursed through NRCS contracts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.5 miles of Warrior Run delisted from impaired waters list after 26 years of conservation practices
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Department of Health and Human ServicesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Joint announcement of $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices. USDA and DHHS collaborating to improve soil health and water quality while establishing advisory council and exploring public-private partnerships.
• Alpha OmegaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 October 2025Federal IT services provider awarded task order for web development, maintenance, and modernization services for FPAC agencies including NRCS.
• American Climate PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Carbon Farming Partnership selected to support measurement of carbon in soil on working agricultural lands across the Southeastern United States.
• Hoopa Valley TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Supply Creek Instream Habitat Restoration Project to support threatened coho salmon populations. Partnership includes breaching levees and constructing off-channel ponds to reverse habitat degradation.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing instream habitat restoration on Supply Creek to support threatened coho salmon populations in California.
• Field to MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to harmonize sustainability measurement and streamline farmer access to conservation resources. Collaboration aims to enhance data interoperability between Fieldprint Platform and external standards.
• The Sustainability ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to harmonize sustainability measurement and facilitate supply chain transparency for sustainable agriculture practices in the United States.
• Fresno Irrigation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFresno Irrigation District offers financial incentives through NRCS Groundwater Recharge Pilot Program and EQIP-WaterSMART Initiative to improve irrigation systems and increase on-farm groundwater recharge.
• Pajaro Valley Water Management AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing water conservation initiatives to address critically overdrafted aquifers through improved irrigation efficiency for agricultural users.
• Juneau AssemblycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement to initiate buyout process for flood-ravaged View Drive properties through federal program where government covers three-quarters of $25 million total cost.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation easement funding for Katy Prairie preserve expansion, adding 60 acres of protected land including native prairie, seasonal wetlands, and working agricultural land.
• Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary conservation easement funding for permanent protection of coastal prairie lands in Texas.
• Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Outdoor FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor retail philanthropy supporting conservation easement funding for Katy Prairie preserve expansion.
• Pheasants ForevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership promoting sorghum sustainability and conservation through cost-share opportunities and soil health tracking collaboration.
• Quail ForevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wildlife habitat conservation and sustainability initiatives in sorghum production regions.
• Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinalization of Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Project in Kansas costing $44.4-$61.6 million to balance agricultural water needs with environmental concerns.
• UC Cooperative ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater conservation initiative in Pajaro Valley offering free technical assistance, training, and financial grants to agricultural users.
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint oversight of $35 million Feral Swine Eradication Program using education, trapping, and control methods to reduce wild hog populations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Federal agency within the Department of the Interior focused on wildlife conservation, habitat protection, and endangered species recovery. Comparable in mission (conservation of natural resources) and partnership structure, though with a different jurisdictional focus.
• U.S. Forest Service: Sister USDA agency managing national forests and forestry research. Comparable as a federal conservation agency with science-based programs, forestry expertise, and conservation delivery — though focused on federal rather than private lands.
• Bureau of Land Management: Federal agency managing public lands, natural resources, and conservation programs on 245 million acres. Comparable as a major federal land and resource conservation operator with similar partnership and easement program structures.

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited: Major private wetland and waterfowl conservation organization that partners extensively with NRCS on Wetland Reserve Easements, ACEP, and habitat delivery. Comparable as a science-driven conservation delivery organization with strong federal funding ties.
• USDA Farm Service Agency: The USDA's sister agency co-located in all 2,300 Service Centers, administering farm programs, commodity support, and disaster assistance. Directly comparable as a federal delivery agency serving the same agricultural producers through the same physical footprint.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest private conservation organizations globally, operating easement programs, watershed initiatives, and science-driven land conservation closely aligned with NRCS's mission. Receives NRCS partnership funding and competes for producer/landowner relationships.
• Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever: National habitat conservation organization operating Farm Bill biologist positions alongside NRCS staff in Service Centers. Comparable as a habitat-delivery organization with deep NRCS co-location and partnership structure for working-lands conservation.
• American Farmland Trust: Private nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. Comparable in its focus on private working lands, soil health, and producer-facing conservation programs, often partnering with NRCS.

Emerging players

• Soil Health Institute: Nonprofit focused on advancing soil health research, measurement, and adoption — directly aligned with NRCS's soil science mission and Web Soil Survey data leadership. A specialized, science-driven peer in soil health outcomes.
• Field to Market: Alliance for sustainable agriculture that operates the Fieldprint Platform for sustainability measurement. An emerging peer building data infrastructure for on-farm sustainability outcomes, directly intersecting with NRCS's conservation metrics and reporting needs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usda_nrcs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/theusdanrcs
• Facebookfacebook.com/USDA.NRCS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Natural Resources Conservation Service