Program Summary

Conservation Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is simply about helping people. NRCS employees

provide conservation options, recommendations, planning assistance 

and application assistance to individual farmers, ranchers, local governments,

and individual homeowners. NRCS is able to help people through a 

variety of programs, most of which are described in this report.

During fiscal year 2005, NRCS and its partners in Missouri helped land 

users plan conservation measures that, when applied, would protect 

930,956 acres.

Missouri NRCS helped land users apply conservation systems on 

701,256 acres. They helped establish irrigation management systems 

on 38,183 acres in southeastern Missouri, helped establish prescribed 

grazing systems on 108,846 acres in the state’s grassland areas, assisted 

with pest management on 81,418 acres, assisted with nutrient management on 79,805 acres, and helped landowners improve wildlife habitat 

on 55,275 acres throughout the state.

Missouri’s natural resources conservation team also provided technical 

assistance to install 111 animal waste management systems.

NRCS

in Missouri

October 1, 2004 - September 30, 2005

U n i t e d S tat e s D e partm e nt o f A g r i cu ltur e • N atura l R e sourc e s C ons e r vat i on S e r v i c e

Helping People

 Help the Land.
  Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible 

goals. EQIP provides financial and technical help to install or implement 

structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

In Fiscal Year 2005, Missouri farmers received more than $18 million in EQIP 

financial assistance. It funded 2,018 of the 2,967 Missouri EQIP applications. 

This financial assistance will help install conservation practices that will 

reduce soil erosion, use water more efficiently, and improve grazing land, 

wildlife habitat and water quality.

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

CSP supports ongoing stewardship of private, agricultural lands by providing

payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. CSP identifies 

and rewards landowners and farmers who are meeting the highest standards 

of conservation and environmental management. 

During Fiscal Year 2005, Missouri funded 1,133 of the 1,240 CSP applications received from the seven watersheds selected to participate during the 

second year of the program. These contracts will provide more than $122 

million over the life of the contracts. 

Watershed Program 

(PL-566)

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act authorizes NRCS to 

provide assistance to local organizations in planning and implementing 

watershed projects.

In Fiscal Year 2005, Missouri’s $4.3 

million allotment of PL-566 watershed implementation funds was 

used to award 11 contracts in 10 

watersheds. The contracts are for 

constructing 49 floodwater retarding structures.

Through an agreement with the 

Missouri Department of Natural 

Resources’ Division of State Parks, 

NRCS completed rehabilitation of 

the Williams Creek Watershed dam 

in Watkins Woolen Mill State Park 

and Historic Site. The dam was 

being updated to meet current safety 

requirements. It is the first watershed 

rehabilitation project in Missouri.

Wetlands Reserve 

Program (WRP)

WRP helps landowners restore 

wetlands on agricultural and nonagricultural lands. Restored wetlands

provide wildlife habitat for migratory 

birds, threatened and endangered 

species and other wetland wildlife. 

WRP started as a pilot in Missouri 

in 1992. To date, 762 applications 

have been funded statewide encompassing 112,051 acres. During 

Fiscal Year 2005, NRCS enrolled 

51 applications covering 6,441 acres. 

Grassland Reserve 

Program (GRP)

GRP offers landowners an opportunity to restore and protect grassland 

and pastureland rather than converting it to cropland or other uses. 

In FY 2005, $2.8 million in financial 

assistance was available in Missouri.

These funds were used for permanent

easements on 579 acres of remnant 

native prairie, and to enter into rental

agreements with producers on 

more than 12,500 grassland acres. 
Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service 

Cooperative 

Soil Survey Program

In Fiscal Year 2005, the Missouri 

Cooperative Soil Survey continued

to be a leader in maintaining the 

initial soil survey information and 

in delivering this information to 

the public. The state’s partnership 

continues to be proactive, and is 

a national leader in both progress 

and innovation.

Last year, this partnership effort 

provided customers with updated 

soils information about more 

than 2 million acres (about 5 

percent of Missouri’s land area). 

Missouri soils information has been

distributed on the National Soil 

Data Mart, http://soildatamart.

nrcs.usda.gov, and on the statesupported CARES web site: 

http://soils.missouri.edu/surveys/

soildata.html.

Current activities are focused on 

bringing the soils information for 

the state to a consistent and more 

usable format. A state legend for 

soil symbols has been adopted, 

resulting in a uniform set of soil 

symbols that will join across county

boundaries.

Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)

FRPP provides an opportunity for USDA to purchase development rights 

from private landowners to keep productive farmland in agricultural use 

and to protect historical sites on agricultural land. USDA provides matching funds to organizations with existing farmland protection procedures 

to help them acquire permanent conservation easements from landowners 

interested in maintaining their current farming enterprise.

In Fiscal Year 2005, Missouri NRCS committed $611,975 to help organizations

protect 471 acres of privately owned, prime farmland from development.

Plant Materials Program

The Elsberry Plant Materials Center (PMC) primarily serves Missouri, Illinois 

and Iowa. It researches plants to determine their possible uses in preventing soil 

erosion and protecting other natural resources. Suitable plants are released from 

the PMC and made available through nurseries and commercial seed growers.

During Fiscal Year 2005, the Elsberry PMC released three new plants for conservation uses. It has released 80 plants during its 71-year history. The retail 

value of the quantities of those 80 plants sold by private nurseries and commercial seed growers in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa in 2005 was $4.3 million. 

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

The premise of the RC&D program is that local people know what is best 

for their communities. Because of this, local people create and organize 

their own RC&D areas, define their own goals, and work with a broad range 

of public and private entities to achieve their objectives. 

Missouri’s eight, multi-county RC&D areas completed 164 projects during 

Fiscal Year 2004. Those activities improved water quality, provided information 

and education assistance, resolved waste utilization issues, and supported rural 

tourism. They also benefited fish and wildlife, economic development, forestry, 

cultural resources, and local natural resources.
  Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service

Roger A. Hansen

State Conservationist

USDA - NRCS Missouri

601 Business Loop 70 West, 

Suite 250, 

Columbia, Missouri 65203

 (573) 876-0901 

www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or 

a part of an individual’s income is derived from 

any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited 

bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and 

TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 

(800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

WHIP is designed to maintain ecosystem diversity by improving habitats 

of reduced or declining wildlife populations within agricultural systems. 

Missouri obligated more than $550,000 with 79 contracts during Fiscal 

Year 2005.

Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)

CCPI targets watersheds of special significance and other geographic 

areas of environmental sensitivity. It funds projects that focus technical 

and financial resources on conservation priorities in those areas. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation 

is developing a plan to improve habitat for 

bobwhite quail in Andrew and Cass counties. 

The project is sponsored by MDC in partnership 

with the University of Missouri, Quail Unlimited 

and NRCS. Funds are being used to develop a 

web-based habitat suitability model that will 

target quail conservation efforts in northwestern 

Missouri. This model may eventually be 

used in other areas.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

The voluntary Conservation Innovation Grants program is intended 

to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation 

approaches and technologies. CIGs will benefit agricultural producers by 

providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance 

with federal, state, and local regulations.

Missouri is part of a seven-state contingent that received a $1 million grant 

to evaluate vegetative treatments for controlling discharge from cattle feedlots. The other states are Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South 

Dakota and Nebraska. 

Missouri and Nebraska – through the Missouri Department of 

Conservation – also received a $190,000 grant to evaluate a grazing system 

that could maintain grassland integrity and improve upland game habitat. 

The project will demonstrate and evaluate vegetative structure and composition of tallgrass prairie flora and wildlife resulting from the use of patch 

burn grazing at five sites in Missouri and two in Nebraska.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership 

in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and 

improve our natural resources and environment.