NRCS in

Missouri

NRCS and its partners in Missouri helped 

land users plan conservation systems on more than 1 million 

acres and apply conservation systems on more than 950,000 

acres during Fiscal Year 2007.

NRCS provided assistance to establish irrigation management systems on 

30,700 acres in Missouri, helped establish prescribed grazing systems on 

223,300 acres in the state’s grassland areas, assisted with pest management on 

141,900 acres, and nutrient management on 146,000 acres. NRCS also helped 

landowners improve wildlife habitat on 75,500 acres throughout the state. 

Missouri’s natural resources conservation team also provided technical 

assistance to install 101 animal waste management systems through the 

implantation of comprehensive nutrient management plans.

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)

Technical assistance is simply about helping people. The CTA program provides

technical assistance supported by science-based technology and tools to help 

people conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources. The CTA program 

provides the technical capability (including direct conservation planning, 

design, and implementation assistance) that helps people plan and apply 

conservation on the land. This assistance is provided to individuals, groups, 

and communities that make natural resource management decisions affecting 

private, and other non-federal lands.

October 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007

Helping People

Help the Land.
  Natural Resources Conservation Service

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible 

goals. It provides financial and technical assistance to install or implement 

structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

Missouri farmers received $20.2 million in EQIP financial assistance in 

Fiscal Year 2007. It funded 1,401 of the 3,999 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 

financial assistance for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. CSP 

identifies and rewards landowners and farmers who are meeting the highest 

standards of conservation and environmental management. 

Since CSP was first offered in 2004, the program has been active in eight 

watersheds across Missouri, resulting in 1,583 CSP contracts. During Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2007, Missouri’s 1,583 contract participants earned payments totaling more 

than $28 million. There were no opportunities for new contracts in FY 2007.

Cooperative Soil Survey Program

The Missouri Cooperative Soil Survey Program continued to be a leader in 

updating soil survey information and in delivering this information electronically

to the public. The state’s partnership continues to be proactive, and is a 

national leader in both progress and innovation.

This partnership effort provided customers with updated soils information for

about 2 million acres (about 5 percent of Missouri’s land area) during FY 2007.

Missouri soils information has been distributed on the Web Soil Survey 

website: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/, on the National Soil Data 

Mart, http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov, and on the state-supported Center 

for Agricultural, Resource and 

Environmental Systems (CARES) 

web site: http://soils.missouri.edu/

surveys/soildata.html.

Current activities are focused on 

updating the soils information for a 

more consistent product for all people in Missouri. The soils staff also 

developed two new interpretations: 

Black Walnut Suitability Index; and 

Soil Potential Ratings for On-Site 

Waste Disposal. 

Farm and Ranch Lands 

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 2007, Missouri 

NRCS enrolled two tracts which 

would protect 180 acres adjacent to 

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, 

near Springfield, from development.
Natural Resources Conservation Service 

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 2007,

more than $470,000 in financial assistance was paid to Missouri landowners 

to permanently protect 600 acres of 

grassland from conversion.

Plant Materials Program

The Elsberry Plant Materials Center 

(PMC) helps land users, federal, state

and local partners, and industry

growers in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri

protect, conserve and improve natural

resources by providing plant materials

and plant related technology. The 

staff researches plants to determine 

their possible uses in preventing soil 

erosion, providing wildlife food and 

cover and in protecting related natural

resources. 

Suitable plants are released from the

PMC and made available through 

nurseries and commercial seed growers.Three new plants for conservation

uses were released in 2007: Sun 

Harvest Germplasm Hazelnut, 

and Northern and Central Iowa 

Germplasm Horsemint.

During its 73-year history, the Center

has released 86 plants. The retail 

value of those plants sold in 2007 by private nurseries and commercial 

seed growers was approximately $3.25 million. 

The PMC is also increasing its efforts at evaluating plants for bioenergy. A 

study of in-field weathering affects on biomass yield and biofuel quality of 

warm-season-grass species was established on the PMC.

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 177 projects during 

Fiscal Year 2007. 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.

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.

Missouri had a $2.9 million allotment of PL-566 watershed implementation

funds in Fiscal Year 2007. The funds were used to award seven contracts 

in eight watersheds. The contracts are for constructing 34 floodwater 

retarding structures.

The Caldwell County 

Commission has acquired 75 

percent of the required 900 acres

for construction of the 362-acre 

Little Otter Creek multipurpose

reservoir. Construction is 

scheduled for 2009.
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

WRP helps landowners restore wetlands on agricultural and non-agricultural

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, 812 applications have been funded 

statewide encompassing 119,300 acres. NRCS enrolled 14 applications 

covering 7,100 acres during Fiscal Year 2007. 

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 $735,000 with 83 contracts during FY 2007.

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 University of Missouri-Columbia is receiving $181,426 to complete 

rapid watershed assessments on four Missouri watersheds: Sac River; 

South Grand River; Lower Osage River; and the Lower Gasconade River. 

The assessments will provide initial estimates of where conservation 

investments would best address the concerns of landowners, conservation

districts, and other community organizations and stakeholders. Landowners

and leaders can use this information to set local priorities and determine 

the best actions to achieve their goals.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

The University of Missouri is concluding a project initiated in 2004 to 

perfect variable-rate nitrogen application on corn using sensors that measure chlorophyll in the crop canopy. The “Demonstration of Innovative 

Technology for Optimizing Nitrogen Application on Corn” project resulted

in an Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rate that corn producers can use to 

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

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

gain more efficiency in applying 

nitrogen fertilizer while maximizing profits. NRCS provided 

$355,983 to support this work.

Through a separate grant, the 

University of Missouri also is 

receiving $241,400 to demonstrate 

farm profitability from utilizing 

various management techniques that

promote soil and water conservation

practices while improving pastures.

The Missouri Department of 

Conservation (MDC) is receiving 

$190,600 for a project initiated 

during 2005 to evaluate a relatively 

new grassland management system.

The “Evaluation of a Grazing System

for Maintaining Grassland Integrity

and Improving Upland Bird Habitat”

project, commonly referred to as 

the “patch-burn grazing” project, 

needed to be investigated before 

managers and private landowners

in Missouri could fully adopt the 

system. MDC designed this project 

to investigate the results of patchburn grazing on: plant species 

composition; floristic quality and 

habitat for grassland birds; and 

cattle performance.