NRCS Conservation Practice Standards

Abstract

For over seventy-five years, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (initially Soil Erosion Service and then Soil Conservation Service) has developed Conservation Practice Standards (CPSs) for use in planning, designing, installing, operating, and maintaining conservation practices on farms and other landscapes. At the present time, there are 160 National CPSs, of which 106 are for engineering practices. Each CPS is first developed at the National level. A National CPS incorporates information from university and government research, industry standards, and practical experience. The individual States have one year to adopt a National CPS in order to use that CPS in that State. States can make a CPS more restrictive than the National CPS but cannot make it less restrictive unless they request a variance. New CPSs are developed when there is the introduction of a new conservation program, such as the Small Watershed Program; when increased emphasis is placed on a resource concern, such as energy conservation; or when a State identifies a resource concern that is specific to their state. By NRCS policy, each CPS is reviewed every five years. Over time, the NRCS Conservation Practice Standards have become the standards used throughout the country for conservation of natural resources, both on and off the farm. They are also used internationally where corresponding industry standards do not exist. CPSs are essential for ensuring quality and consistency in the products that NRCS provides to their customers.