CTA in 2007

NRCS employees in New Mexico work from 37 field 

offices to help the state’s farmers and ranchers realize the 

best conservation on the ground. New Mexico has leveraged this program to make great strides to:

Deliver science-based technology to our customers

Provide a local presence in the communities with our 

conservation partners

Ensure one-on-one assistance in the voluntary conservation of our natural resources

•

•

•

OTHER NRCS INITIATIVES

SOIL SURVEY

The National Cooperative Soil Survey Program, under 

the leadership of NRCS, inventories soils, interprets 

their uses and suitability, publishes the results, and keeps 

information current of the lands of the United States. 

Soil survey data is useful to everyone who utilizes the 

nation’s soils in construction activities, to grow crops and 

livestock, and manage natural resources. Over 90 percent of New Mexico has published soil surveys for public 

use. Current efforts are focused on updating soil maps 

at a rate of one million acres per year with continuous 

updates to the statewide tabular data systems. New data 

delivery tools provide more accurate, better interpreted, 

and easier public acess of soils information for everyone 

ranging from backyard gardeners, farmers and ranchers, 

developers, land managers, and national policy makers.

SNOW SURVEY

NRCS performs the snow surveys throughout New 

Mexico that are used to develop snow runoff forecasts 

from January through May. These forecasts are invaluable to irrigation organizations, city managers, and others 

who depend on our water supply through the summer.

PLANT MATERIALS CENTER

The Los Lunas Plant Material Center has been focused 

on developing new planting methodologies and plant 

material stock types, to improve plant establishment and 

reduce costs of restoring native vegetation at sites where 

non-native phreatophytic vegetation has been treated. 

The Center has established more than 30 demonstration plantings in the New Mexico bosque, and provided 

hands-on workshops on these new planting methodologies. Interested field offices have recieved 100 varieties 

of plant materials, and in a typical year, 15,000 plants 

materials are distributed.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT

RC&Ds are concerned about the quality of New Mexico’s natural resources, and how they can support strong, 

successful communities throughout the state. Examples 

of their work include the acquisition of dry hydrants, 

wildlife habitat improvements, and assistance in organizing for effective weed in multiple counties.

CTACONSERVATION

TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE

CTA is one of the most FUNDAMENTAL CONSERVATION 

PROGRAMS NRCS uses to accomplish its goals. CTA 

provides voluntary conservation technical assistance to landusers, communities, units of state and local government, 

and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing 

conservation sytems.

This work is achieved in the field by our soil conservationists, rangeland management specialists, and 

soil conservation technicians supported by a cadre of 

resource conservationists, soil scientists, engineers, 

administrators, and other specialists. 

Congressional District 1 2 3

Just Some of Our Specialists 

Working in Your Area

Soil Conservationists 8 24 27

Rangeland Management 

Specialists 1 12 4

Soil Conservation

Technicians 2 4 8

State Total 11 40 39

BUSINESS LINES AND PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

In fulfilling its stated mission, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and managers. This technical and financial assistance is delivered through business lines. Business lines are groups of similiar products and services that Agency employees deliver to external customers. There are core products and services under the business lines.

BUSINESS LINES DESCRIPTION

Conservation

Planning and

Technical

Consultation

NRCS provides data, information, or technical expertise that helps people collect and 

analyze information to identify natural resource problems and opportunities, clarify their 

objectives, and formulate and evaluate alternatives.

Conservation Plans reflect a customer’s decisions about the management of natural 

resources for a specific area-which may be a farm or ranch operating unit, a group of 

units, a community, or a landscape feature such as a watershed.

Technical Consultations and Planning Assistance provide professional advice that 

helps customers make decisions about natural resource management.

•

•

Conservation 

Implementation

NRCS helps customers install on their land conservation practices and systems that meet 

established technical standards and specifications

Designs allow for the application of engineering and management practices (practice 

survey, practice design, field layout of conservation practices, and so forth)

Follow-up ensures the treatment is working properly and identifies if additional treatment is needed.

Checks and Reviews are formal program status reviews of land where program contracts are in effect or subject to conservation compliance.

•

•

•

Natural Resource

Inventory and

Assessment

NRCS assesses, acquires, develops, interprets, analyzes, and delivers natural resource data 

and information to enable knowledge-based natural resource planning and decision making 

at all landscape scales.

Data Gathering Protocols ensure that reliable natural resource data are acquired and 

delivered.

Databases and Delivery include the maintenance and delivery of geospatial datasets 

and information.

Assessments and analyses include the modeling and interpretation of natural resource 

data to better inform decision makers and facilitate policy development.

•

•

•

Natural Resource

Technology

Transfer

NRCS develops, documents, and distributes a wide array of technology pertaining to 

resource assessment, conservation planning, and conservation systems installation and 

evaluation.

Technology Tools include conservation standards, specifications, guides and references, and modeling systems.

NRCS has automated much of this techonology to facilitate sound conservation decisions by the public.

Training and Certification include technical training to external customers and administration of certification standards and procedures.

Plant Materials and related technologies provide for better land treatment.

•

•

•

•

Financial

Assistance

NRCS provides financial assistance to encourage the adoption of land treatment 

practices that have been proven to provide significant benefits to the public. Financial assistance is awarded to participants who voluntarily enter into contracts, 

easements, and agreements to conserve natural resources. Financial assistance is 

provided through: Cost-share/Incentives, Easements, Grants, and Stewardship 

Payments.

NRCS New Mexico obligated $19,058,312 for technical assistance in 2007. This included all technical 

assistance - both that provided through conservation 

technical assistance and that which was part of the 

implementation of other Farm Bill programs.
USDA-NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

NM 2007 ANNUAL REPORT

 October 2007

USDA FARM BILL AND OTHER PROGRAMS 

The Conservation programs authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill help to provide the support needed to reduce the gap between the level of environmental quality the general public demands and the level of environmental quality farmers and 

ranchers can provide.

Congressional District Financial Assistance Technical Assistance Totals

1 $ 1,686,402 $ 1,129,945 $ 2,816,347

2 $ 8,969,154 $10,959,654 $19,928,808

3 $ 7,005,112 $ 7,859,776 $14,864,888

FY-07 Expenditures by Congressional District

FY-07 Expenditures by Program by Congressional District

Congressional

District 1 2 3 Total

Environmental

Quality Incentives 

Program

A voluntary program that provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to 

address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their land in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.

$ 1,250,937 $ 8,537,245 $ 6,719,617 $16,507,799

Federal/Private

Cooperative 

Conservation

Part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program that is voluntary and facilitates conservation on an entire ranching operation where parts of the rangeland are federally owned.

$ 1,163,662 $ 1,163,662

Ground & Surface

Water Conservation

A voluntary program that helps conserve water. An example is the Ogallala Aquifer area.

$ 594,750 $ 133,073 $ 727,823

Wildlife Habitat

Incentives Program

A voluntary program that encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitat that support wildlife populations of national, state, Tribal, and local significance.

$ 90,697 $ 108,586 $ 199,283

Wetlands Reserve 

Program

A voluntary land retirement program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to address 

wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on private lands.

$ 16,500 $ 16,500

Conservation

Security Program

A voluntary stewardship program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources.

$ 14,700 $ 573,300 $ 882,000 $ 1,470,000

Farm & Ranchland

Protection Program

A voluntary program that helps landowners keep their productive land in agriculture through conservation easements 

limiting conversion of property to non-agricultural uses.

$ 420,765 $ 420,765

Watershed

Rehabilitation

A voluntary program that offers assistance to local sponsors in evaluating and updating as necessary dams constructed with certain types of federal assistance.

$ 157,000 $ 340,000 $ 497,000

Watershed & Flood

Prevention

A voluntary program for flood prevention; conservation, development, planning, utilization and disposal of water; and 

conservation and proper utilization of land.

$ 356,189 $ 48,000 $ 404,189

New Mexico USDA-NRCS

Area and Field Offices Access to NRCS services typically begins with a visit to any of our 37 field offices located 

throughout New Mexico, and supported by Area Offices in Clovis, Carrizozo, Socorro, 

and Albuquerque. There are 47 soil and water conservation districts and eight Resource 

Conservation & Development offices and councils. Close relationships between NRCS 

and its state, soil and water conservation district, and federal partners are realized through 

both traditional and unique programs. Special cooperative efforts with the soil and water 

conservation districts and federal agencies enable NRCS to assist New Mexico farmers 

and ranchers to better access Farm Bill programs - and address conservation concerns on 

ranchlands where parts of the rangeland is federally owned.

Helping People Help the Land

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released its 

2005-2010 Strategic Plan. It outlines the long-term goals, objectives, and strategies to 

achieve effective results for productive lands and a healthy environment. 

The Plan, called “Productive Lands-Healthy Environment,” can be found on the national NRCS Web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/strategicplan/. Hard copies 

are available at 1-888-LANDCARE.

NRCS remains committed to high quality, productive soils; clean and abundant water; 

and healthy plant and animal communities through its Foundation Goals. However, it 

also introduced emerging natural resource concerns in the form of Venture Goals for 

air quality, an adequate energy supply, and working farms and ranch lands. NRCS 

plans to expand its role in these areas under the new Plan.

NRCS activities will be guided by the three overarching strategies - the watershed approach, a market-based approach, and cooperative conservation - as the Agency works 

to achieve the six goals.

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Resource Concerns Program Dollars in Millions # of Contracts Subtotal

Grazing Non-Tribal EQIP $6.6 201

Grazing Tribal EQIP $0.2 2

Grazing Fed/EQIP EQIP $1.2 18 $8.0=221 Contracts

Water Non-Tribal EQIP $6.1 243

Water G&SW EQIP $0.7 14

Water Tribal EQIP $0.6 14

Water Small Acreage EQIP $30 Thousand 3 $7.4=274 Contracts

Animal Feeding Operations EQIP $2.6 23

Woodland EQIP $0.4 9

Wildlife WHIP $0.2 12

Total $18.6 539

EQIP = Environmental Quality Incentives Program WHIP = Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program