FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan

FY 2023 Annual Performance Report

U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Table of Contents

About the U.S. Department of Agriculture............................................................................... 4

Mission, Vision, and Core Values...............................................................................................4

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 5

Background ...............................................................................................................................6

Performance..............................................................................................................................6

Supplemental Funding...............................................................................................................7

FY 2022 – 2026 Strategic Goals and Objectives.........................................................................9

Commitment to Customer Experience ......................................................................................8

Cross-Agency Priority Goals.....................................................................................................12

Lower-Priority Program Activities............................................................................................12

Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources, and 

Communities......................................................................................................................... 13

Objective 1.1: Use Climate-Smart Management and Sound Science to Enhance the Health and 

Productivity of Agricultural Lands............................................................................................15

Objective 1.2: Lead Efforts to Adapt to the Consequences of Climate Change in Agriculture and 

Forestry ...................................................................................................................................23

Objective 1.3: Restore, Protect, and Conserve Watersheds to Ensure Clean, Abundant, and 

Continuous Provision of Water Resources ..............................................................................33

Objective 1.4: Increase Carbon Sequestration, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create 

Economic Opportunities (and Develop Low-Carbon Energy Solutions)...................................37

Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous........... 43

Objective 2.1: Protect Plant and Animal Health by Minimizing Major Diseases, Pests, and 

Wildlife Conflicts .....................................................................................................................44

Objective 2.2: Build Resilient Food Systems, Infrastructure, and Supply Chain.......................47

Objective 2.3: Foster Agricultural Innovation..........................................................................49

Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers...... 54

Objective 3.1: Foster Sustainable Economic Growth by Promoting Innovation, Building 

Resilience to Climate Change, and Expanding Renewable Energy...........................................55

Objective 3.2: Expand Markets for Emerging Technologies, Sustainable Products, and Novel 

Products ..................................................................................................................................59

Objective 3.3: Expand All Producers’ Access to Global Markets Through Negotiation and 

Enforcement of Trade Agreements.........................................................................................63

Objective 3.4: Expand International Marketing Opportunities and Build Demand in Developing 

Countries Through Delivery of Technical Assistance and Capacity Building ............................65
Goal 4: Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans ............................................. 67

Objective 4.1: Increase Food Security Through Assistance and Access to Nutritious and 

Affordable Food.......................................................................................................................68

Objective 4.2: Encourage Healthy Dietary Choices through Data-Driven, Flexible, CustomerFocused Approaches ...............................................................................................................74

Objective 4.3: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health ......................................78

Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural 

and Tribal Communities......................................................................................................... 80

Objective 5.1: Improve Rural and Tribal Community Infrastructure, Including Affordable EConnectivity, Cornerstone Community Facilities, Sustainable and Reliable Power, and Clean 

and Safe Water and Sewer Systems........................................................................................81

Objective 5.2: Boost the Financial Security of Rural and Tribal Communities through Access to 

Affordable Housing..................................................................................................................83

Objective 5.3: Increase Capacity, Sustainability, and Economic Vitality in Rural and Tribal 

Communities...........................................................................................................................85

Objective 5.4: Promote Environmental Justice by Maximizing Sustainable and Green Economic 

Development in Rural and Tribal Communities.......................................................................88

Goal 6: Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated Workforce that's Proud to 

Represent USDA.................................................................................................................... 91

Objective 6.1: Foster a Culture of Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, 

Transparency, and Accountability ...........................................................................................92

Objective 6.2: Establish a Customer-Centric, Inclusive, High-Performing Workforce that is 

Representative of America and the Communities We Serve...................................................93

Objective 6.3: Promote USDA Operational Excellence Through Better Use of Technology and 

Shared Solutions......................................................................................................................97

Acronyms and Abbreviations............................................................................................... 102
About the U.S. Department of Agriculture

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to establish the United States Department 

of Agriculture (USDA or the Department). Two and a half years later in his final message to Congress, 

Lincoln called USDA “The People’s Department.” At that time, about half of all Americans lived on farms, 

compared with about two percent today. But through its work on food, agriculture, economic 

development, science, natural resource conservation, and a host of other issues, USDA continues to fulfill 

Lincoln's vision—serving millions of Americans every day. 

The agriculture and food industry contributes $1.1 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product and 

represents nearly 11 percent of total U.S. employment. Furthermore, USDA over the years has gained 

more authorities to expand its support not only in agriculture but the support infrastructure that give all 

producers better access to market and its surrounding communities and natural resources to also thrive.

Today, USDA is comprised of 29 agencies organized under eight Mission Areas and 16 Staff Offices. The 

Department employs nearly 100,000 persons who serve the American people at more than 6,000 

locations across the country and abroad (see USDA Organization Chart).

Mission, Vision, and Core Values 

USDA Mission: To serve all Americans by providing effective, innovative, science-based public policy 

leadership in agriculture, food and nutrition, natural resource protection and management, rural 

development, and related issues with a commitment to deliverable equitable and climate-smart 

opportunities that inspire and help America thrive.

USDA Vision: An equitable and climate-smart food and agriculture economy that protects and improves 

the health, nutrition, and quality of life of all Americans; yields healthy land, forests, and clean water; 

helps rural America thrive; and feeds the world. 

USDA Core Values

• Respect and Dignity: We treat all people with courtesy and respect, and we value the inherent 

dignity of every individual. 

• Equity and Inclusion: We seek to end discrimination in all forms, wherever it exists, and expand 

services and opportunities to underserved people and communities across America, starting with 

our workforce.

• Trust and Integrity: We act in a manner that is deserving of the public’s trust and with the utmost 

integrity in everything we do as public servants. 

• Service and Results: We listen to our internal and external customers and actively incorporate 

their ideas on how to best reach our diverse customers and deliver service that significantly and 

positively impacts the lives of all Americans. 

• Science Leadership: We base our decisions and policy on science and data that are reliable, timely, 

relevant, and free from political interference.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Executive Summary

Background

In accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), as amended by the 

GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), USDA is pleased to present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual 

Performance Plan and FY 2023 Annual Performance Report. This document provides an overview of the 

Department’s FY 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan, performance progress for FY 2023, and achievements 

anticipated in FY 2025. 

The Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) leads USDA in Performance, Evaluation, Evidence, and 

Risk Management, and chairs the USDA Performance, Evidence, Evaluation, and Risk Committee. All 

Mission Areas and Departmental Administration are represented on the committee, as well as other key 

evaluation partners. The broad representation facilitates buy-in across the Department, augments

technical expertise, and creates a greater diversity of perspectives. Additionally, OBPA has a close 

partnership with the Chief Data Officer and Statistical Official, which provides insight and advisement on 

data access, data quality, and statistical methods. 

USDA applies a standardized methodology to collect and use data for program performance 

measurement. This methodology has been vetted by federally employed scientists and policymakers.

With this, USDA attests to the completeness, reliability, and quality of the data.

Performance

The FY 2025 Annual Performance Plan and FY 2023 Annual Performance Report use the following terms 

in discussing past and future performance: 

• Strategic Goal: The highest-level statement of aim or purpose that is included in the Strategic 

Plan. The strategic goals articulate the broad categories of action that the Department will take 

to advance its mission.

• Strategic Objective: This document’s 21 strategic objectives are the primary unit for strategic 

analysis and decision-making. Strategic objectives state the outcomes or management impacts 

the Department is trying to achieve.

• Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A key performance measure used to track progress toward 

achieving a strategic objective. The Department measures and monitors the trend for these 

indicators. Performance indicator status results are determined by the following standard:

o Met/Blue: Within 100% or more of target

o Needs Improvement/Pink: Within 10% of target

o Unmet/Orange: Greater than 10% below target

• Target: A quantifiable level of achievement that is planned for a measure of strategic objective 

progress.

• Baseline: A performance indicator’s level over one or more time periods to assess the appropriate 

level for future performance targets.

In FY 2023, USDA met or exceeded the target for 21 out of 50 (42%) performance metrics. 5 of the 50

(10%) performance metrics were deemed to “need improvement,” meaning they were within 10% range 

of meeting the set target. 19 of the 50 (38%) performance metrics were more than 10% below target, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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designating them as “unmet.” 5 of the 50 (10%) performance metrics do not have available data at the 

time of this report, due to lag times associated with data reporting and processing.

USDA will continue to pursue challenging and ambitious yet feasible target thresholds for its key 

performance measures aligned to and supported by the Department’s Budget request. As precedent data 

become more readily available, staff will be able to make more informed decisions about manageable 

targets. USDA will continue to build on its success using the Quarterly Strategic Review process to maintain 

accountability, and to articulate resources necessary to successfully reach performance metric targets and

strategic goals. In addition, the integration of Enterprise Risk Management, along with increased capacity 

for evidence building, will improve decision-making surrounding resources and program activities. 

Supplemental Funding

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, legislation like the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and the 

transformational and historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have 

provided critical investments to address the challenges of climate change to the nation’s food and 

agriculture systems and rebuild the nation’s foundational needs from the bottom up and the middle out. 

Through the ARP, USDA is helping producers get back on their feet; creating more and better markets for 

local and regional food producers; and supporting those most vulnerable to food insecurity. BIL has 

supported investments in climate, energy, and the environment in rural America through the expansion 

of high-speed broadband to create jobs, help farmers use precision agriculture technologies, expand 

access to health care and educational services, and create economic opportunities for millions across the 

country. IRA invests in new and existing USDA programs that help farmers, ranchers and forest 

landowners adopt climate-smart practices, support the transition to clean energy in rural America, and 

provide technical and financial assistance to underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters. USDA delivers 

on these investments to confront challenges in the future of agriculture. Below is a table that lays out KPIs 

and other supplemental performance measures to track progress on strategic objectives in BIL and/or IRA. 

Measure Text BIL IRA

Number of High-Priority Areas Where Treatments Have Occurred to Reduce 

Wildfire Risk to Communities X X 

Met

42%

Needs 

Improvement

10%

Unmet

38%

Unavailable

10%
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Number of UCF IRA Projects Delivered in CJEST ‘Disadvantaged’ Census 

Blocks/Tracts

X 

Impacts of Investments to Improve National Baseline UTC and (Tree 

Planting) Based on 30-Year Canopy Growth Projections X 

Number of Landowners Assisted through the Landowner Support for Forest 

Resilience Program X 

Number of Projects Funded through the Landowner Support for Forest 

Resilience Program X 

Number of Acres Impacted through the Landowner Support for Forest 

Resilience Program X 

Number of Projects Funded to Establish, Reopen, Retrofit, Expand, or 

Improve a Sawmill or Other Wood-Processing Facility X 

Acreage of National Forest System Lands Where Final Treatment Effectively 

Mitigates Wildfire Risk X X 

Haul Amount of Material Removed to Reduce Hazardous Fuels to Locations 

Where that Material can be Utilized X X 

Reduction and Avoidance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from RD 

investments (PACE and New ERA) X 

Reduction and Avoidance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from RD 

investments (REAP) X 

Commitment to Customer Experience

USDA is committed to empowering, enabling, and engaging USDA customers and employees in a humancentered approach to innovation in order to deliver consistently exceptional service to customers. The 

need for improved customer experience in government is both mandated by policy and the need to 

provide customers with efficient and effective services.

The Office of Customer Experience (OCX) at USDA works to address complex challenges across programs 

and services that may impact the experiences of USDA customers and employees. A good customer 

experience will increase trust in government, the likelihood to use products and services, and improve 

service efficiency through decreased costs. In addition, OCX has and continues to collaborate with USDA’s 

High Impact Service Providers (HISPs) on several initiatives to streamline program applications and 

enhance customer service. More information on OCX key initiatives can be found at Office of Customer 

Experience (OCX) | USDA. 

USDA’s commitment to providing high-quality customer experiences is also reflected in the three Agency 

Priority Goals and high-impact services provided by five of USDA’s eight mission areas. More information 

on these programs can be found at USDA | Performance.gov. 

Finally, USDA recognizes that meeting the needs of its customers also involves addressing diversity, equity, 

inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). USDA established an Equity Commission to ensure that none of its

customers are ignored or left behind and that all have an equal chance of success and prosperity. 

Recognizing the role of a healthy and inclusive organizational culture and the need to build an organization 

that reflects the communities that the agencies and programs serve, USDA is looking inward to understand 

what it will take to build an organization that centers DEIA. More information on the equity commission 

and DEIA initiatives can be found at Equity | USDA. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Overview

The USDA FY 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan guides the work of USDA to ensure that the Department’s efforts 

best serve the American public. As part of its vision to make USDA the most efficient, most effective, and 

most customer-focused department in the Federal government, the Department has established six 

strategic goals for FY 2022 – 2026 and two FY 2024-2025 Agency Priority Goals. 

In FY 2023, USDA completed three Agency Priority Goals (APG) and introduced two APGs for FY 2024-2025 

to focus and monitor performance where the Department needed to drive significant progress and 

change. The means used to verify and validate measured values, the sources of data, the level of accuracy 

required for the intended use of the data, and limitations to the data at the required level of accuracy are 

described and documented for each Agency Priority Goal on http://www.performance.gov/. 

Performance Management

The following chart demonstrates the Department’s performance management lifecycle.

FY 2022-2026 USDA Strategic Plan

View Online

FY 2024-2025 Agency Priority Goals 

(APGs)

View Online

Annual Performance Plan/Report

View Online

Learning Agenda/Capacity Assessment

View Online

Annual Evaluation Plan

View Online

Quarterly APG/CAP Updates 

View Online

Quarterly APG/CAP Performance Updates

Internal

Annual Financial Report (AFR)

View Online
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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FY 2022 – 2026 Strategic Goals and Objectives

Strategic Objective 1.1 Use Climate-Smart Management and Sound Science to Enhance the Health and 

Productivity of Agricultural Lands

Strategic Objective 1.2 Lead Efforts to Adapt to the Consequences of Climate Change in Agriculture and 

Forestry

Strategic Objective 1.3 Restore, Protect, and Conserve Watersheds to Ensure Clean, Abundant, and 

Continuous Provision of Water Resources

Strategic Objective 1.4 Increase Carbon Sequestration, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create 

Economic Opportunities (and Develop Low-Carbon Energy Solutions)

Strategic Objective 2.1 Protect Plant and Animal Health by Minimizing Major Diseases, Pests, and 

Wildlife Conflicts

Strategic Objective 2.2 Build Resilient Food Systems, Infrastructure, and Supply Chain

Strategic Objective 2.3 Foster Agricultural Innovation

Strategic Objective 3.1 Foster Sustainable Economic Growth by Promoting Innovation, Building 

Resilience to Climate Change, and Expanding Renewable Energy

Strategic Objective 3.2 Expand Markets for Emerging Technologies, Sustainable Products, and Novel 

Products

Strategic Objective 3.3 Expand All Producers’ Access to Global Markets Through Negotiation and 

Enforcement of Trade Agreements

Strategic Objective 3.4 Expand International Marketing Opportunities and Build Demand in Developing 

Countries through Delivery of Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

Strategic Objective 4.1 Increase Food Security Through Assistance and Access to Nutritious and 

Affordable Food

Strategic Objective 4.2 Encourage Healthy Dietary Choices Through Data-Driven, Flexible, CustomerFocused Approaches

Strategic Objective 4.3 Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health

Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources and 

Communities

Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous

Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers

Strategic Goal 4: Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Strategic Objective 5.1 Improve Rural and Tribal Community Infrastructure, Including Affordable EConnectivity, Cornerstone Community Facilities, Sustainable and Reliable 

Power, and Clean and Safe Water and Sewer Systems

Agency Priority Goal Ensure All Americans have Access to High-speed, Affordable, and Reliable

Broadband

By September 30, 2025, the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce will 

expand affordable and reliable access to broadband service by funding projects, 

which when completed, will provide at least 6,250,000 households and other 

locations with reliable and affordable access to high-quality internet service. 

This will be achieved through investment in broadband infrastructure and 

related activities, accompanied by outreach and technical assistance, and in 

coordination with applicable Federal agencies, to promote American household 

accessibility to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service.

Strategic Objective 5.2 Boost the Financial Security of Rural and Tribal Communities Through Access to 

Affordable Housing

Strategic Objective 5.3 Increase Capacity, Sustainability, and Economic Vitality in Rural and Tribal 

Communities

Strategic Objective 5.4 Promote Environmental Justice by Maximizing Sustainable and Green Economic 

Development in Rural and Tribal Communities

Objective 6.1 Foster a Culture of Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, 

Transparency, and Accountability

Objective 6.2 Establish a Customer-Centric, Inclusive, High-Performing Workforce that is 

Representative of America and the Communities We Serve

Agency Priority Goal Cultivate a motivated and skilled workforce capable of accomplishing USDA’s 

mission through effective recruitment and retention

Building upon the work of the previous two years, by September 30, 2025, 

improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and strategic alignment of recruitment 

and retention strategies and processes to attract, hire, and retain top talent. By 

September 30, 2025, USDA will decrease the total number of permanent 

employee separations by 1% per year, with concentration on the number of 

permanent employee separations having less than 1 year as well as 1-2 years of 

service as compared to the FY23 YTD baseline.

Objective 6.3 Promote USDA Operational Excellence Through Better Use of Technology and 

Shared Solutions

Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and 

Tribal Communities

Strategic Goal 6: Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated Workforce that’s Proud to 

Represent USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Cross-Agency Priority Goals

GPRAMA requires Cross-Agency Priority Goals to be addressed in the Annual Performance Report. Please 

refer to https://www.performance.gov for the Department’s contributions and progress toward those 

goals, where applicable. 

Lower-Priority Program Activities

The President’s Budget identifies lower-priority program activities where applicable, as required under 

GPRAMA 31 U.S. Code § 1115(b)(10). The public can access the volume at 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Key to Performance Measure Data Tables

FY 

2018

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 100 100 120 150 150 225 Units Increase

Actual --- 90 100 115 100 TBD N/A

“---" = 

No Data Gray = 

Data and 

No Target

Met/Blue = 

Within 100% 

or more of 

target

Needs 

Improvement/Pink = 

Within 10% of target

Unmet/Orange = 

Greater than 

10% below 

target

Actuals 

by Year 

(Bars)

Targets 

by Year 

(Line)

Yellow = 

Unavailable
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working 

Lands, Natural Resources, and Communities

Climate change poses a significant risk to agriculture, forests, and grasslands across the United States and 

the communities that support and depend on them. The Nation’s agricultural lands, forests, and private 

working lands require conservation and restoration efforts to strengthen their resilience to drought, 

invasive species, and wildfire. The Department must lead with investments in science, research, and 

climate-smart solutions. These investments will mitigate the impacts of climate change, increase 

adaptation to climate change, generate new income opportunities, and build generational wealth in 

disadvantaged communities.

Agriculture can lead the fight on climate using climate-smart agriculture, forestry, and renewable energy 

practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve adaptation and resilience, 

and increase market opportunities for all producers. USDA is working to develop and 

implement a comprehensive climate-smart strategy that is centered on incentives for voluntary 

participation and meeting the needs of its diverse producers, landowners, and 

communities. Additionally, it will provide a host of new tools to deploy important conservation 

practices and the research essential to inform them.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 1.1: Use Climate-Smart Management and Sound Science to Enhance the Health and 

Productivity of Agricultural Lands

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Identified program enhancements to increase demand and encourage use of Conservation Loans.

• Released the FY 2023 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems 

(SAS) request for application (RFA) that includes a new $5M program to reduce enteric methane 

emission from ruminants.

• Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation (MAE) funding has been obligated to incorporate FSA 

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practices into the COMET tool, develop a tool to collect the 

soil carbon monitoring data, and expand the soil carbon project into grassland CRP. Sampling of 

the soil carbon MAE project is underway in perennial grasses, wetlands, and trees. 

Challenges

• Continued high crop prices have impacted producer enrollment and re-enrollment.

• Landowners are backing out of NRCS agreements in some states potentially due to higher land 

values and/or better opportunities with other programs. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Natural Resources Conservation Service

• Farm Service Agency

• Forest Service

• Office of the Chief Economist

2

3

1

1

3

2

Future 

Report Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

Cropland with Applied Soil Health Management System Practices

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- 225 225 225 225 N/A Thousand 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- 313 294 464 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025 and replaced by a new soil health KPI. 

Progress Made in FY 2023

This is an annual measure and was initiated in FY 2021. The required minimum practices are cover crops, 

reduced or no-till, and conservation crop rotation. The computation includes the EQIP, CSP, and CTA 

programs. 

Cropland on Which at Least One Conservation Practice was Applied to Improve Soil Quality Under the 

Environmental Quality Incentives Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 3.1 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 N/A Million 

Acres Increase

Actual 3.4 3.9 3.4 3.3 3.3 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025 and replaced by a new soil health KPI.

Progress Made in FY 2023

This KPI has been a staple performance measure for many years and is used as a national level indicator 

of NRCS’s progress on soil quality. Progress on soil quality under Environmental Quality Incentives 

Program (EQIP) is still strong based on the expanded focus on soil health benefits. 

Cropland with Conservation Applied to Improve Soil Quality through Conservation Technical Assistance

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 11.3 N/A Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025 and replaced by two new KPIs that represent how Conservation 

Technical Assistance translates into working with customers to create conservation plans which address

resource concerns.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Progress Made in FY 2023 

Leadership and subject matter experts (SME) are re-evaluating this measure. CTA is primarily used for 

conservation planning related to all practices. Soil Quality practices are primarily implemented as part of 

a supporting program. 

Cropland with Conservation Applied to Reduce Soil Erosion and Improve Soil Quality through 

Environmental Quality Incentives

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 3.1 N/A Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025 and replaced by a new soil health KPI.

Progress Made in FY 2023 

This KPI has been a staple performance measure for many years and is used as a national level indicator 

of NRCS’s progress on soil quality. Leadership and SMEs are re-evaluating this measure. The agency is 

reevaluating this measure to included additional land uses to better reflect FPAC NRCS work. 

Working Lands Protected by Conservation Easements

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 140 163 163 163 129 129 N/A Thousand 

Acres Increase

Actual 178 167 145 167 193 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025 and replaced by a new KPI which reflects the full inventory of acres 

under conservation protection. 

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Normal day-to-day issues such as boundary discrepancies, staffing, and weather can affect the timeline 

for closings, therefore most conservation easements close in Q3 and Q4. 

Land Evaluated for Conservation Needs

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 52.1 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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New KPI Description

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. Conservation assessments completed during the fiscal year to 

treat resource concerns. This measure represents the acre footprint of all land units that have been 

assessed. All land uses are eligible. 

Conservation planning support is a critical service NRCS provides to America's producers. This activity was 

previously reported as a KPI, but in a more limited scope focused on cropland land-use. This new KPI more 

fully represents the conservation planning activity that NRCS performs. Conservation planning acres 

represent the land quantity that NRCS is providing technical assistance to on a yearly basis.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

While this is a new KPI that will be reported starting in FY 2025, the information represented is not new 

to NRCS. The target for this KPI, which represents the acres of land that NRCS had performed conservation 

planning for, was informed by historic accomplishments. NRCS continues to prioritize conservation 

planning activities and does not anticipate any changes to this priority that would impact achieving the FY

2025 target.

Conservation Plans Developed

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024 FY 2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 115,000 Plans Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. Conservation assessments completed during the fiscal year to 

treat resource concerns. This measure represents the number of conservation plans that have been 

assessed. All land uses are eligible. 

Conservation planning support is a critical service NRCS provides to America's producers. This activity was 

previously reported as a KPI, but in a more limited scope focused on cropland land-use. This new KPI more 

fully represents the conservation planning activity that NRCS performs. Conservation planning counts 

correlate with the number of operations that NRCS is providing technical assistance to on a yearly basis, 

regardless of the size of the operation.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

While this is a new KPI that will be reported starting in FY 2025, the information represented is not new 

to NRCS. The target for this KPI, which represents the quantity of conservation plans NRCS has developed, 

was informed by historic accomplishments. NRCS continues to prioritize conservation planning activities 

and does not anticipate any changes to this priority that would impact achieving the FY 2025 target.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Conservation Practice Applied to Reduce Soil Erosion or Improve Soil Health

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 15.9 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. Land on which at least one conservation practice narrative was 

applied that improves soil health or reduces soil erosion during the fiscal year. Eligible conservation 

practice narratives per applicable land use. All land uses are eligible. All programs are eligible. 

This new KPI expands on concepts previously reported for NRCS's support for improving Soil Health and 

reducing Soil Erosion, by incorporating additional land-uses and programs. Compared to previously 

reported KPIs, this new indicator tells a fuller picture of how NRCS funding translates to environmental 

benefits. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

This KPI was designed to be a more exhaustive measure of the outcomes NRCS produces with relation to 

reducing erosion and improving soil health. The target for this KPI was informed by historic 

accomplishments in these conservation areas. Reducing soil erosion and improving soil health are 

anticipated to continue being priority resource concerns on a national scale, and NRCS does not anticipate 

any changes to this priority that would impact reaching the FY 2025 target.

Land Under Protection by Conservation Easements

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 5.7 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Information

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. Cumulative acres of closed conservation easements across all 

programs and land uses. This better represents the value and support NRCS provides via easement 

programs. This KPI captures the total closed easement inventory (a change from prior easement KPIs, 

which focused exclusively on anticipated new closed acreage). This number represents the agency's 

existing inventory plus future year projections, outlining the total acres NRCS expects to have under 

conservation protection by the target timeframe.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

Starting in FY 2025, NRCS will represent easement outcomes in terms of the total acres of land under 

protection from easement programs, rather than focusing exclusively on new land acres. This 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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representation better reflects the long-term commitment to land protection and stewardship that 

conservation easements provide. FY 2025 targets for this calculation reflect the existing inventory as of 

the end of FY 2022, plus anticipated new acres to be closed in the coming fiscal years.

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Acreage Enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program Riparian and Grass Buffers

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 1.43 1.41 1.46 1.56 1.56 1.61 1.23 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual 1.43 1.36 1.42 1.37 1.28 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Acres declined in the first quarter of FY23, and there was no significant change during the second, third 

and fourth quarter. Continued high crop prices have impacted producer enrollment and re-enrollment. 

High crop prices continue to impact enrollment across all areas of FPAC FSA CRP. Additionally, the 2018 

Farm Bill decrease of enrollment authority and rental rates has also decreased the enrollment of these 

continuous signup practices. Earlier targets were based on historic enrollment when the statutory cap 

was significantly higher and rental rates and crop prices were lower. FPAC FSA experienced a decrease 

for FY23 and anticipates that enrollment in these practices will continue to lag. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

FSA will continue outreach for enrollment; however, due to farm bill changes and current farm economy 

it is difficult to forecast enrollment and progress. Furthermore, increasing crop prices reduces producer 

interest in CRP enrollment. Historically FSA factored 10 years of enrollment data to determine 

targets. However, considering these recent challenges FSA is adjusting to 5-year historical enrollment 

for FY 2025 targets. FSA believes this more accurately reflects the current trends.

FOREST SERVICE 

Percentage of National Forest System Landscape Ecosystems Improved, Maintained, or Recovering Due 

to Management Actions

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 42% 42% 35% 38% 38% 39%

%

EcosystemsIncrease

Actual --- 32% 33% 29% 30% N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

The percentage of National Forest System landscape ecosystems improved, maintained, or recovering due 

to management actions increased slightly over 1% between FY 2022 and FY 2023. Improved reporting and 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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increases in prescribed fire were the two biggest contributors to this increase. Prescribed fire improves 

multiple measures contributing to ecological integrity in the Terrestrial Condition Assessment (TCA) model 

that underlies this KPI, including factors such as wildfire hazard potential and fire deficit. The TCA 

leverages these indicators of ecological integrity to project ecological outcomes of multiple management 

activities completed in the fiscal year. Significant reporting improvements to the Forest Service Activity 

Tracking System (FACTS) also helped improve this KPI’s accomplishment level. In FY 2023, 10 percent more 

activities were correctly entered with their spatial information which allowed for an increase of 400,000 

acres of work to be included in this KPI’s calculation. Expanded training, filled FACTS coordinator positions, 

and improved communication with the field all contributed to this increased reporting. Although a greater 

number of acres of accomplishment were completed in FY 2023, the number of landscape ecosystems 

having management actions occur decreased slightly. This may indicate more coordinated and focused 

efforts to ensure improved outcomes from recent investments including those made in the Wildfire Crisis 

Strategy Landscapes.

While not meeting the target this fiscal year, this still represents a significant amount of work improving 

ecological conditions across National Forest System lands. Challenges in FY 2023 include recently 

identified data gaps, decreases in invasive species treatments, staffing shortages, and contracting 

difficulties. A key part of restoration that USDA manages is returning the function of ecological processes 

to the landscapes. A major ecological process for restoration is fire. Returning appropriate fire to the 

landscape has a significant positive impact on the TCA KPI and the historic level of prescribed fire in FY 

2023 was a positive step towards ecological restoration.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025 and following recent investments, the agency will continue with progress towards completing 

implementation of restoration projects that achieve the agency’s focus on larger landscape restoration, 

as outlined in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This focus will also lead to increases in ecosystem health 

measured in the Terrestrial Condition Assessment KPI. Ongoing investments will also allow for staff in new 

roles to develop the skills, knowledge, and experience to expand the capacity of the agency. Restoration 

work, especially when done at scale, takes time to complete and see the investment outcomes as various 

activities move through planning, contracting, and implementation phases prior to being completed. 

Through focused work in priority areas and greater support for landscape-scale work through agency 

programs (e.g., selection and funding for the next group of Collaborative Forest Land Restoration Project 

projects), the percent of landscapes improved, maintained, and recovering should continue to improve.

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Percentage of UCF IRA Projects Delivered in CJEST 

‘Disadvantaged’ Census Blocks/Tracts

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 100 100 Percent Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Impacts of Investments to Improve National Baseline 

UTC and (Tree Planting) Based on 30-year Canopy Growth Projections

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- TBD TBD TBD Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

IRA allocated $1.5 billion to the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program to provide multiyear, 

programmatic, competitive grants for tree planting and related activities, with a priority for projects that 

benefit underserved populations and areas through the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance 

program established under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16U.S.C.2105(c)).

On April 12, 2023, USDA Under Secretary Dr. Homer Wilkes announced $250 million in UCF IRA funding 

to State and U.S. Territory Forestry agencies to support competitive sub-grant programs that provide 

equitable access to trees and associated benefits in disadvantaged communities. The Under Secretary also 

announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity providing $1 billion in competitive grant funding to 

community-based organizations, tribes, municipal governments, non-profit partners, universities, and 

other eligible entities to increase tree planting in urban areas and equitable access to nature. 

The notice of funding opportunity generated over 800 applications totaling $6.4 billion in funding requests 

that were cleared for review, followed by a multi-step review process comprised of a USDA-wide 

Independent Review Team, and two additional rounds of technical reviews by the Washington Office 

Urban and Community Forestry team and Regional Program Managers. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, the program goal will be to support all funded UCF IRA grants and cooperative agreements, 

delivering financial and technical assistance to dozens of partner organizations and agencies working to 

sustain and increase tree canopy, equitable access to the benefits of nature, and green industry jobs in 

communities across the country. UCF will establish baseline national urban tree canopy information to 

inform IRA investment impacts and future investment priorities and begin measuring progress toward

urban tree canopy goals.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIST

Percent Increase in Number of Stakeholders Supported through Climate Hubs Capacity-Building 

Activities 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 2.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 Percent Maintain 

Actual --- --- --- 0.5 146 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

The USDA Climate Hubs develop and deliver science-based, region-specific tools and resources for 

climate-informed decision-making in agricultural food and fiber production, the management of forest 

and rangeland ecosystem services, and in support of community resilience. Through FY 2023, the USDA 

Climate Hubs engaged with existing and new stakeholders. With the growth in Hub staff numbers,

primarily through additional Hub fellows, USDA was able to reach considerably more stakeholders over 

the course of FY 2023 compared to FY 2022 and FY 2021. In 2023, Climate Hubs hosted or participated in 

288 workshops and webinars reaching an estimated 28,721 adult participants. Hub staff gave 234 

presentations at meetings and had 32 engagements with Tribes. Climate Hubs also reached 34,664 youth 

participants, more than doubling the number of overall engagements. This level of outreach to youth 

participants is not expected to occur in FY 2024. In comparison, in FY 2022, Climate Hubs reached an 

estimated 24,186 adult participants and 1,719 youth participants. The International Climate Hub 

(supported by the Foreign Agricultural Service) was announced in May 2023 and since then has already 

made important contributions to the Hubs Program, including building international content on the Hubs’ 

websites, and engaging with international stakeholders and partners. 

Progress in FY 2023 includes the ongoing development of regional and sector-based vulnerability 

assessments and the production of adaptation resources and climate-smart solutions. FY 2023 has also 

seen continued Hub staff leadership and authorship of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Climate 

Hubs create their own or support access to science-based agriculture, forestry, and land management 

tools and technologies for responding to impacts of a changing climate such as drought, extreme weather 

events, and changing growing seasons. Climate Hubs leverage partnerships with USDA and other 

government agencies, Cooperative Extension, and state agencies and non-profit organizations to generate 

information and decision-support resources. All these activities are synergistic with outreach and 

education, providing the content for stakeholder engagement and capacity building. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

As an interagency program, the USDA Climate Hubs continue to translate climate science into action for 

diverse internal and external audiences. Progress will be made through the Climate Hubs’ three 

workstreams: science and data synthesis, tool and technology development, and outreach, convening, 

and training. The Climate Hubs aim to maintain a 5 percent increase from FY 2021 engagements (25,786 

people) in the number of people supported through capacity-building activities. Capacity building in the 

context of the Climate Hubs includes sharing information that enhances climate literacy, climate change 

adaptation and mitigation practices, and builds climate resilience. These activities include in-person or 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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virtual workshops, demonstrations, trainings, online tutorials, webinars, and videos, as well as youth 

engagements and curriculum development. The work of the Climate Hubs will increase throughout the 

U.S. due to three new investments. The Agricultural Research Service and Forest Service have provided 

funding for increasing capacity through fellowships which will broaden the work of the Climate Hubs. 

Additionally, increased staff capacity due to IRA funding via NRCS will enhance USDA Climate Hub 

engagements on climate change mitigation practices. Lastly, new capacity through the NIFA Agriculture 

and Food Research Initiative Climate Hubs-Extension partnership grants will support delivery of climatesmart, community-driven solutions, and reach underserved communities across the nation. Each new 

effort takes time to train new staff and establish projects prior to effective engagements. The Climate 

Hubs aim to maintain a 5 percent increase from FY 2021 numbers.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 1.2: Lead Efforts to Adapt to the Consequences of Climate Change in Agriculture 

and Forestry

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Virtual fencing technology helps grazing cattle reduce vegetation in fuel breaks to fight wildfires.

• Held training for the USDA Acquisition workforce in coordination with the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ). 

• Facilitated and informed climate change adaptation training to USDA employees; incorporated 

climate change in project evaluation protocol for funding allocations and departmental manual.

Challenges

• Survey participation and analysis of resulting survey data.

• Acres treated from wildfires that met planned objectives were significantly lower for this fiscal 

year relative to previous years. 

• Wildfires, on a nearly year-round basis, continue to divert resources from planning and timber 

sale preparation. Some markets are also indicating they are saturated with salvage timber sales 

or are dealing with ongoing litigation. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Forest Service

1

2

1

4

2

Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

4

5

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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FOREST SERVICE

Private Forest Acres Protected Through the Forest Legacy Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 69,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 Acres Maintain 

Actual --- --- --- 54,378 46,772 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Conservation across landscapes and ownerships is essential to addressing large-scale conservation issues, 

including watershed protection, wildfire risk mitigation, and protection of at-risk species. Intact working 

forests provide clean drinking water, sequester carbon, protect wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and offer 

recreation access. Conserving working lands supports local, regional, and national economies. To select 

projects for funding, the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) uses a two-tiered competitive process at both the 

State and national levels. To date, FLP has conserved over 3 million acres, including almost 47,000 acres 

in 2023. Historically, FLP leverages more than one dollar for every Federal dollar spent. Barriers to 

progress early in the fiscal year included the timing of grant awards and limited capacity of available 

review appraisers. However, the program was able to increase its staffing (including appraisal support) 

and state support to address project implementation challenges and to increase the pace of 

implementation.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

By FY 2025, the Forest Legacy program expects to be operating at full capacity and anticipates that 

increased staffing, combined with improved knowledge, skills, and abilities, will result in increased pace 

of successful project completions. Since Forest Legacy projects are Congressionally directed, grant awards 

are delayed until a final appropriations act is signed into law and this continues to be a challenge. The 

program provides administrative funds to states in addition to funding projects and the agency has 

increased project administration support to participating states. While some states have been able to 

quickly operationalize the availability of additional resources, other states face challenges in doing so. 

Forest Service program staff will continue to work with State partners to provide programmatic, 

educational, and financial support to ensure effective program implementation. Finally, additional funding 

made available by IRA will continue to increase capacity for the program including $250 million in FY 2024 

and $125 million in FY 2025, which is also expected to increase accomplishments.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Number of High-Priority Areas Where Treatments Have Occurred to Reduce Wildfire Risk to 

Communities

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 3 1 N/A N/A Firesheds Maintain 

Actual --- --- --- 3 1 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2024 and will be replaced with a new KPI in a future plan.

Progress Made in FY 2023

In FY 2022, the agency began using the analytic methodology of “firesheds” to help prioritize work in areas 

with the greatest wildfire risk exposure to communities. As of FY 2023, 21 landscapes encompassing 250 

high priority firesheds were identified and an accelerated pace and scale of hazardous fuels treatments 

was started supported by the funding from BIL and IRA. This is part of the agency’s work to execute the 

Wildfire Crisis Strategy, under the umbrella of the National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy. Along with 

the 21 landscapes, several of the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership projects are also being 

implemented within high priority firesheds."

Acreage Treated to Reduce or Maintain Fuel Conditions on National Forest System and Non-Federal 

Lands

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.7 4.0 4.2 4.0 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual 2.9 2.7 3.7 3.2 4.4 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

The fuels management program treats acres to reduce the risk for uncharacteristic wildfire by prioritizing 

treatments in the vicinity of critical infrastructure, community drinking water sources, critical habitat, and 

traditional homelands. A trade-off analysis is conducted using scenario investment planning to distribute 

resources more efficiently to the highest priority areas. Working with community partners across 

boundaries allows the agency to leverage resources and work efficiently to reduce wildfire risk, while 

creating resilient landscapes and encouraging fire-adapted communities. In FY 2023, the Forest Service 

accomplished approximately 4.4 million acres of fuels treatments on National Forest System lands and 

adjacent areas to mitigate wildfire risk. Approximately 2.7 million of the treated acres were in high-risk 

wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas. The treated areas outside the WUI were also identified as high 

priority and included municipal watersheds, traditional homelands, critical habitat, and areas valued for 

subsistence and cultural opportunities, forest products, and ecosystem restoration. Approximately 1.6 

million treated acres were categorized as having a high to very high hazard potential for a large wildfire 

that would be difficult to contain. Over 2 million acres of prescribed fire were accomplished, the highest 

number of acres in the agency’s history; approximately 300,000 more than any other year. Approximately 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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620,000 acres of naturally occurring wildfire met natural resource objectives; about 100,000 acres above 

the five-year average. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The Forest Service Washington Office staff will continue to work with each region to achieve the right 

level of support to maintain fire-adapted ecosystems, continue investments, and maximize opportunities 

to reduce wildfire risk in those key firesheds identified in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Specifically, the 

agency has set its FY 2024 national hazardous fuels goal at 4.2 million acres on National Forest System 

lands and adjacent lands and a FY 2025 goal of 4.0 million acres. Achieving these goals is dependent on a 

broad range of enabling conditions related to litigation, timber markets, increased costs due to inflation, 

unpredictable situations such as wildfire conditions and other natural disasters, and final budget 

appropriations from Congress. Any of these could impact the agency’s ability to achieve these 

accomplishment goals. Further, the agency expects increased treatment costs as the focus work in areas 

that are more impactful in reducing wildfire risk, but that takes longer to complete and is more complex. 

Although the agency was able to achieve 4.4 million acres in FY 2023 with historic investments from BIL 

and IRA, treatments continue to be focused in the right places, and at the right time, to mitigate wildfire 

risk to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources. This focus does not always result in more acres 

treated. The agency will continue to focus on outcomes, rather than acres treated, and is working on more 

effective ways to communicate this internally and externally. 

Acreage of National Forest System Lands Where Final Treatment Effectively Mitigates Wildfire Risk

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.6 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual 0.9 0.8 1.3 1.1 1.4 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Mitigated accomplishments are approximately 35 percent of all hazardous fuels treatments, meaning 

about a third of all treatments are a final or maintenance treatment and are primarily accomplished 

through prescribed fire. These accomplishments reflect all funding sources including annual 

appropriations, BIL, Disaster Supplemental, permanent, trust, and reimbursable. Reducing vegetation 

density, improving heterogeneity, and implementing periodic prescribed fire assists in the fire-adaptation 

of our Nation’s forests, sustaining them through time. By treating National Forest System lands, fire can 

burn at low to moderate intensities and the wildland fire workforce can effectively suppress unplanned 

ignitions and limit the impacts of fire and smoke to communities. This also reduces carbon emissions and 

provides for healthy forests with increased growth capacity to fix carbon. The Nation’s forests provide for 

the livelihoods of many individuals, industries, and communities. Healthy, productive forests maintain 

current economic enterprises while encouraging additional opportunities.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The Forest Service will continue to work closely with each region to achieve the right level of support to 

maintain current levels of risk, continue investments, and maximize opportunities to reduce wildfire risk. 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Funding in BIL provides opportunities to treat high-risk and high-cost acres in FY 2023 and is anticipated 

to have a similar impact in FY 2024 and FY 2025. These treatments will allow the Forest Service to 

redesignate more than 1.5 million acres to a low risk of wildfire. Additional investments will be required 

to maintain these areas over time and avoid returning to a high risk of wildfire.

Timber Volume Sold

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.2 

Billion 

Board 

Feet

Increase

Actual 3.27 3.21 2.8 2.9 3.1 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In 2023, the agency offered and sold approximately 3.1 billion board feet of timber through the treatment 

of 551,141 acres, which resulted in nearly $155 million in receipts. Sales included more than 700 contracts 

greater than $10,000, nearly 120,000 small timber contracts and permits, and over 23,000 special forest 

product permits. At the end of August 2023, a total of 8.022 billion board feet was under contract with 

industry. Additionally, the significant focus on the Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS) landscapes continued 

through FY 2023, with an emphasis on wildfire risk reduction resulting in increased removal of smaller 

diameter material for fuels reduction purposes. Partnerships through new national keystone agreements 

and other local and regional partners, in FY 2022 and FY 2023, have added capacity to the agency’s focus 

within the WCS landscapes. Other forest management programs contributed to the volume increase 

including salvage sales and other permanent and trust funded sales. Of note, timber volume sold using 

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program funding was over 87 million board feet (MMBF); 

Good Neighbor Authority, 230 MMBF; and stewardship contracting and agreements, 991 MMBF. 

Investments in the WCS landscape projects are higher cost treatments and lower volume production, 

which require additional preparation and partnership coordination to maintain stability in the timber 

program. In 2022 and 2023, the closure of timber markets for lower value materials such as pulpwood, 

non-sawtimber and biomass have impacted the agency’s ability to remove this material while receiving a 

financial benefit, especially in the Eastern Region (09).

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The agency will continue to evolve this as an outcome-based indicator to measure success in combating 

climate change, and its support of America's working lands, natural resources, and communities. Agency 

field staff continue to look for new opportunities to work with partners, as well as the use of multiple 

contracting types and other authorities to get more work done at a larger scale. Additional support to 

provide training to employees and support options for efficiencies will be a key focus leading into FY 2025. 

The Agency will continue the development of a 5-year strategic plan of action that outlines expectations 

and outcomes for future planning, outcomes, and KPI accomplishments. These strategic investments will 

also support an emphasis on employee recruitment and position hiring will need to be a continued focus 

into FY 2025 to ensure a full work force is available to meet the agencies objectives.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

30

Number of Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 1,100 1,100 Publications Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) prioritizes investments that produce research and 

science applications to inform Forest Service land management responsibilities and to advance national 

priorities. These investments are focused on increasing research and science delivery to improve the 

effectiveness and efficiency of the wildland fire management mission; improving understanding of the 

effects of climate change on ecosystems; informing climate adaptation and resilience through naturebased climate solutions such as forest carbon restoration and management; sustaining and improving 

watershed resilience, risk assessment, and restoration; conducting forest inventory and trend analysis; 

and advancing wood product innovations and wood product markets. For more information, please refer 

to the Forest Service’s database for all research products called “TreeSearch” 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

Forest Service R&D will focus on research publications to inform Forest Service land management 

responsibilities and to advance the highest national priorities. R&D will support the agency’s Wildfire 

Crisis Strategy, including fire prediction, planning, decision support, strategic reduction of hazardous 

fuels, impact assessment, and recovery; continue investments in watershed research to sustain and 

improve water security in the face of increasingly frequent and extreme hydrological events from 

droughts to floods; and invest in research and development of innovative wood uses, generating new 

products, supporting new and emerging markets, and facilitating implementation of the Wildfire Crisis 

Strategy.

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Number of Landowners Assisted through the Forest 

Landowner Support Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 0 5,000 Number of 

Landowners Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Number of Projects Funded through the Forest 

Landowner Support Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 30 50 Number of 

Projects Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Number of Acres Impacted through the Forest 

Landowner Support Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 0 50,000 Number 

of Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

IRA provides funding and direction for multiyear, programmatic, competitive grants through the 

authorities of the Landscape Scale Restoration Program. Focus areas include cost share payments for 

climate mitigation or forest resilience practices; support for participation of underserved and smalleracreage landowners in emerging private markets for climate mitigation and forest resilience; and 

payments for forestry practices resulting in measurable increases in carbon sequestration and storage. 

In FY 2023, the agency created a new team to design and implement these new programs and released 

an initial competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity with the expectation of awarding up to $150 million 

in FY 2024 from this first opportunity. The agency conducted extensive outreach to attract a diverse set 

of applicants and anticipates a balanced and robust portfolio of funded projects that will result in 

significant outcomes.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, the agency will continue program delivery including through additional funding opportunities 

to support cost share payments for climate mitigation or forest resilience and practice payments for 

carbon sequestration and storage. The program anticipates announcing approximately $30 million in 

new opportunities and obligating over $200 million into awards from competitive opportunities 

announced in FY 2024 and FY 2025.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Number of Projects Funded to Establish, Reopen, 

Retrofit, Expand, or Improve a Sawmill or Other Wood-Processing Facility

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 116 90

Number 

of 

Projects

Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Haul Amount of Material Removed to Reduce Hazardous 

Fuels to Locations Where That Material can be Utilized 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 150,000 60,000 Green 

Tons Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

The Forest Service has made catalytic investments in the wood-based bioeconomy to support land 

management, wildfire risk reduction, climate adaptation, and local economies. In FY 2023, the Wood 

Innovations, Community Wood, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance grant programs funded 

over 160 projects for $67 million to support innovation, market development and new and expanded 

manufacturing capacity. These projects support the critical connection between healthy and resilient 

federal, state, tribal and private forests, and the wood products economy.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, the program goal will be to continue to support program delivery though the Wood 

Innovation grant program, the Community Wood grant program, the Wood Products Infrastructure 

Assistance grant program, and the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance program. The Wood 

Innovation grant program uses funds from annual appropriations, BIL, and IRA. The Community Wood 

grant program uses funds from annual agency appropriations and BIL. The Wood Products Infrastructure 

Assistance grant programs use funds from BIL only. The Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance 

program uses funds from IRA. 

A Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Wood Innovations grant program is planned for $3 million of BIL 

funds and $5 million of IRA funds. Community Wood is planned for $5 million of BIL funds. Wood 

Products Infrastructure Assistance is planned at $20 million. Additional funds from the annual Forest 

Service budget will be used if appropriate. The focus will be to support market development, facility 

expansion, and transportation assistance of material removed during hazardous fuels treatments. 

The target for these programs is to support 90 facilities and projects that support increased 

manufacturing, and 20 projects that support hazardous fuels transportation. This is a projected decrease 

from FY 2024 since the majority of IRA funds will likely be expended in FY 2024.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

33

Objective 1.3: Restore, Protect, and Conserve Watersheds to Ensure Clean, Abundant, and 

Continuous Provision of Water Resources

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Snowmelt modeling technology adopted by California Department of Water Resources to predict 

water availability in the state.

• Two new practices were added to the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) to allow for 

management and establishment of early successional habitat cover and wildlife habitat. These 

new practices will enable SAFE partners to better target wildlife.

• Additional funding from BIL and appropriated funds have increased interest/participation of some 

units that had been, in the past, slow to adopt Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) projects. 

• The Big Game Corridor was piloted in Wyoming and is expanding to include becoming a 

partnership program with the state and NRCS. 

• Created the opportunity to implement additional flexibilities within the Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) for the Colorado Republican River to include dryland agricultural 

production, equipping producers with the tools to reduce water consumptive use while 

promoting conservation and soil health.

Challenges

• There remains a large backlog of watershed restoration work across FS lands that outpaces 

USDA’s ability to plan and implement projects annually with internal capacity.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Natural Resources Conservation Service

• Farm Service Agency

• Forest Service

1 1

3

1

4

Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

4

5

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

34

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

Tons of Sediment Prevented from Leaving Cropland and Entering Water Bodies

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 5.7 5.7 5.7 6 6 6 6 Million 

Tons Increase

Actual 6.3 8.2 8.1 8.3 8.5 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Progress for soil sediment being retained exceeded FY 2023 expectations. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

NRCS has had a sustained and successful soil health campaign and will continue to utilize the effective 

methodology under this KPI. However, new Farm Bill requirements may pose risks to progress. 

Conservation Practices Applied to Conserve Water

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 15.9 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

This KPI will initiate in FY 2025. Land on which at least one conservation practice narrative was applied to 

improve conservation of water naturally available from precipitation or withdrawn from surface or ground 

water sources and used in crop production. All land uses are eligible. All programs are eligible.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

This KPI was designed to be a more exhaustive measure of the outcomes NRCS produces with relation to 

conserving water. The target for this KPI was informed from historic accomplishments in this conservation 

area. Water conservation is anticipated to continue being a priority resource concern on a national scale, 

and NRCS does not anticipate any changes to this priority that would impact reaching the FY 2025 target.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

35

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Total National Acres in Grassed Waterways

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 0.110 0.120 0.125 .097 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- 0.110 .107 .102 N/A N/A

Total National Acres in Contour Grass Strips, Contour Grass Strips in Terraces, and Prairie Strips

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 0.062 0.073 0.080 .038 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- 0.060 .0595 .036 N/A N/A

Acreage of Restored Wetlands

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 2.34 2.41 2.34 2.64 2.76 2.96 2.33 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.39 2.30 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Acres declined in the first quarter of FY 2023, and there was no significant change during the second, third 

and fourth quarters. Continued high crop prices have impacted producer enrollment and re-enrollment. 

High crop prices continue to impact enrollment across all areas of CRP. Additionally, the 2018 Farm Bill 

decrease of enrollment authority and rental rates has also decreased the enrollment of these continuous 

signup practices. Earlier targets were based on historic enrollment when the statutory cap was 

significantly higher and rental rates and crop prices were lower. FSA experienced a decrease for FY 2023 

and anticipates that enrollment will continue to lag. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

FSA will continue outreach for enrollment; however, due to farm bill changes and the current farm 

economy it is difficult to forecast enrollment and progress. Furthermore, increasing crop prices reduces 

producer interest in CRP enrollment. Historically FSA factored 10 years of enrollment data to determine 

targets. However, considering these recent challenges, FSA is adjusting to 5-year historical enrollment for 

FY 2025 targets. FSA believes this more accurately reflects the current trends. 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

36

FOREST SERVICE

Number of Watersheds Moved to Improved Condition Class or Sustained in Condition Class 11

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 14 15 N/A 15 16 21 25 Watersheds Increase

Actual 8 9 N/A2 12 6 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Completion of watershed restoration action plans requires that several projects be implemented over a 

period of a few years; projects implemented this fiscal year will contribute to watersheds completed in 

future years. Additional funding from BIL and IRA have increased the planning of Watershed Condition 

Framework (WCF) projects, resulting in an increase in priority watersheds being designated and in 

essential projects being planned. However, the accomplishment of six watersheds maintained or moved 

to an improved condition was lower than anticipated. Delays during the planning and implementation of 

projects, contract award timelines, and changes to the accomplishment reporting process contributed to 

the reduction in FY 2023 accomplishments. In previous years, the watershed accomplishment was based 

on when the agency obligated funding (either through contracts or agreements) for implementation. As 

the agency continues to explore new ways to communicate the agency’s outcomes, this reporting 

measure has changed to take record accomplishments when the work within the watershed is considered 

completed. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

Increased project funding in FY 2023 through FY 2025 from BIL and IRA has allowed for an increase of four 

watersheds over the previous fiscal years target. Program investments will focus on making improvements 

to the conditions of priority and source watersheds, as well as improve water quality and quantity, along 

with providing updates to the Terrestrial Condition Assessment to enable continued reporting of 

ecological effects of ecological management activities. The program will also continue co-investment with 

critical partners, such as Trout Unlimited, to reach the Forest Service’s goal of improving the condition of 

priority watersheds. Furthermore, in FY 2025, the Forest Service will continue to strengthen coordination 

with States, Tribes, local communities, private landowners, and partners in the public and private sector, 

working to advance the goals set in the Forest Service Equite and Plan and Tribal Action Plan. 

1 National Assessments of national forest and grassland watershed conditions rate 47% either as “Functioning at Risk” or 

“Impaired Function”. To improve their conditions and increase climate change resiliency, these watersheds require substantial 

restoration work. Specifically, using a mix of funding, the agency will complete essential projects outlined in the Watershed

Condition Framework (WCF) Watershed Restoration Action Plans (WRAPs).

2 This performance metric was developed in 2010 as the agency’s first nationally consistent outcome performance measure to 

demonstrate accomplishments in watershed restoration. For FY 2021, watershed restoration was not a Departmental key 

performance indicator and no target was established.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

37

Objective 1.4: Increase Carbon Sequestration, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create 

Economic Opportunities (and Develop Low-Carbon Energy Solutions) 

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Submitted USDA’s FY 2023 Buildings Strategic Plan, FY 2023 Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity 

Strategic Plan, and USDA FY 2022 Annual Energy Report. 

• Released Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) notice of special funding under IRA. Setting up 

new programs Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy 

(PACE) under Electric.

• Launched new grant program that offers assistance to Rural Energy Community Partnerships 

(RECPs) which was established to provide community-scale renewable energy benefits and help 

in underserved rural communities. Examples of RECPs include nonprofit or state-based 

organizations, federally-recognized Tribes, and municipalities or other public bodies.

• Increased sharing of best practices and efficiency tools across NRCS through the Future 

Innovations effort.

Challenges

• USDA, in consultation with the Department of Energy, updated and revised the procedure for 

estimating results of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which led to apparent increases relative to 

historic info.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Natural Resources Conservation Service

• Office of Property and Environmental Management

• Rural Development

2 2

2

1

1

Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

4

5

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

38

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 

Percentage of Items in a Contract that are Certified During the Life of a Contract

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 87 87 87 87 87 87 N/A

% of 

Items 

Certified

Increase

Actual 87 87 87 87 82.4 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025. 

Progress Made in FY 2023 

This is an annual measure. The Contract Implementation Ratio (CIR) was adopted as a USDA KPI and is 

used in the FPAC NRCS Operations Scorecard / Performance Report. 

Percentage of Timeliness of Practice Certifications or Timely Modification of Past Scheduled Practices 

to Reflect a New Future Schedule Date3

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 53 53 53 53 53 53 N/A % of 

Timeliness Increase

Actual 55 43 68 65.6 65.8 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025. 

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Progress for this KPI exceeded FY 2023 expectations. 

Climate Change Mitigation

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 30

Million metric 

tons of carbon 

dioxide 

equivalent 

(MMT CO2e)

TBD

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

3 Numerator: a count of all practices certified within the target quarter. Denominator: a count of all practices that are expected 

to have been certified as of a given end-of-quarter timeframe.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

39

New KPI Description

This KPI will initiate in FY 2025. Estimate of the climate change mitigation expected from implementation 

of mitigation practices in the current fiscal year in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMT 

CO2e). Estimation is based on the applied acres of the practice and the specific mitigation coefficient for 

that practice over the practice lifespan (includes the estimated cumulative benefits). 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The FY 2025 target will be updated to incorporate expectations from IRA funding as USDA is in the early 

stages of implementation for this transformational work and data is still needed for the necessary 

establishment of the initial trends. 

NRCS is also working to advance the methodology for the KPI. This longer-term work is supported as part 

of IRA and will continue through FY 2031. For FY 2025, initial improvements will be driven by improved 

documentation and expanding input from Subject Matter Experts to identify and advance opportunities, 

such as refining assumptions and implementation data. 

NRCS is also considering options for updating the source of program data to better capture applied 

practice units, which are key inputs to the estimates and are converted to the estimated benefit using 

coefficients (e.g. from COMET-Planner). NRCS is also working to advance automation of the estimates. 

Conservation Practices Applied to Mitigate Climate Change

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 23 Million 

Acres Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

This KPI will initiate in FY 2025. Sum of applied acres of Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) 

mitigation practices and enhancements applied in the current fiscal year. All land uses are eligible. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The FY 2025 target will be updated to incorporate expectations from IRA funding as USDA is in the early 

stages of implementation for this transformational work and data is still needed for the necessary 

establishment of the initial trends. 

NRCS is also making improvements to the process and data for estimating this KPI. These improvements 

include advancing the automation of the calculations, expanding input from Subject Matter Experts, and 

considering options for the source of program data to better capture applied practice units. 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

40

OFFICE OF PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Percent Reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide 

Equivalent) 4

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 21 22 23 36

% Reduction 

in Scope 1 

and Scope 2 

Emissions

Decrease

Actual 28.7 31.8 21.3 19 TBD5 N/A N/A

Baseline and targets are preliminary and subject to change based on White House policy direction. The 

baseline year is FY 2008.

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, USDA initiated several priority actions to make progress on reducing scope 1 and scope 2 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as required by Executive Order (EO) 14057. These actions include 

increasing facilities energy efficiency, implementing renewable energy projects, designing and building 

low-emission buildings, and planning for zero-emission vehicles acquisition and charging infrastructure. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

USDA plans to increase priority sustainability actions to achieving the 65 percent reduction in scope 1 and 

scope 2 GHG emissions goals by 2030 from 2008 levels as required by Executive Order (EO) 14057, 

Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. These actions will build on 

past sustainability strategic planning efforts and direction from the USDA Sustainable Operations Council. 

The actions will focus on purchases of carbon pollution-free electricity and zero-emission vehicles, and on 

facility energy efficiency improvements. 

4 Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the activity of an organization. Scope 2 emissions are 

indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the energy an organization purchases. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Scope 1 and Scope 2 Inventory Guidance | US EPA. Accessed December 19, 2023. 5 USDA’s GHG emissions for FY 2023 will be reported on January 31, 2024, and approved by the Department of Energy (DOE) and 

OMB later in 2024. The actual percent change in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions will be provided when it is approved in 

2024. 

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

41

Total Number of Departmental Fleet Vehicles

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 27.1 36.5 36.5 39.1 39.1 39.1 N/A Vehicles Maintain 

Actual 27.1 37.9 37.1 39.7 38.6 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025.

Progress Made in FY 2023 

USDA is committed to attaining its optimal fleet inventory. Efforts to eliminate inefficient and nonessential vehicles from the inventory continued throughout FY 2023, placing a focus on fleet optimization. 

In the years ahead, USDA remains resolute to continue executing right-sizing and right-typing acquisition 

strategies designed to identify and eliminate inefficient vehicles and replace them, as needed, with 

vehicles that use less petroleum per mile and use alternative fuels/electricity where available and are 

best-matched to the mission.

Long-term, USDA’s plans consist of a multi-year map and systematic approach to vehicle acquisition, use, 

maintenance, refueling, and replacement, which is meant to anticipate and account for changes in 

mission, organization, and resulting vehicle demand, while establishing strategic positioning for achieving 

full compliance with current management and sustainability mandates. These plans will help define how 

vehicle selection will achieve maximum fuel efficiency, and limit motor vehicle body size, engine size and 

optional equipment to what is essential to meet the mission while guiding the programming of funds 

necessary to continue fleet operations.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Reduction and Avoidance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

from RD investments (PACE and New ERA) 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- TBD

Metric 

Tons of 

Carbon 

Dioxide

Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- --- N/A

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

42

Supplemental Funding Performance Measure: Reduction and Avoidance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

from RD investments (REAP) 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 17M

Metric 

Tons of 

Carbon 

Dioxide

Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- --- N/A

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

Funding for this program will be obligated before or by FY 2025. Therefore, in FY 2025, USDA will be 

conducting administrative grant work related to the program and will consider ways to evaluate impact 

of the supplemental funding.

Goal 1
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

43

Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, 

Resilient, and Prosperous

A strong and prosperous agricultural sector is essential to the well-being of the U.S. economy. America’s 

farmers and ranchers ensure a reliable food supply, support job growth, and promote economic 

development. To maintain an equitable and competitive agricultural sector, USDA will safeguard animal 

and plant health, support farmers and ranchers’ ability to start and maintain profitable cooperatives and 

businesses and offer financial support to all producers affected by natural disasters. Additionally, USDA’s 

research agencies will continue to introduce high-performance plants and animals and offer integrated 

management options to increase the efficiency of farming practices. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

44

Objective 2.1: Protect Plant and Animal Health by Minimizing Major Diseases, Pests, and 

Wildlife Conflicts

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Strategic objective 2.1 has been designated as an area making noteworthy progress.

Accomplishments

• Continued sampling migratory birds for highly pathogenic avian influenza, collecting more than 

31,000 samples from wild birds and confirming 2,650 detections in wild birds in at least 87 species 

across 45 States and Washington D.C.

• Coordinated the reporting of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 203 wild mammals across 18 

species.

Developed 8 new climate suitability maps (for a cumulative total of 24 maps) for high-risk plant 

pests to support early detection efforts.

Challenges

• APHIS wildlife disease surveillance staff supported response efforts for the widespread outbreak 

of highly pathogenic avian influenza, prevention and preparedness activities for African swine 

fever, and SARS-CoV-2 projects. The program was able to meet its target of sampling for an 

additional disease despite capacity challenges due to these emergency response efforts. 

Developing climate suitability maps for pests with complex lifecycles that may have long dormant 

periods or other complicating factors takes additional time and requires new approaches. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

2 2 Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

45

ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE

Number of Zoonotic and Agricultural Diseases Sampled in Wildlife

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 16 17 18 N/A Diseases 

Sampled Increase

Actual --- --- 15 16 17 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025. Staff are at capacity sampling for emergency programs needs such as 

highly pathogenic avian influenza, African Swine Fever (ASF), and SARS-CoV-2.

Progress Made in FY 2023

APHIS monitors for diseases that have the potential to spread from wildlife to farmed livestock, or even 

humans, and serves as an early warning system for outbreaks of foreign animal diseases. APHIS 

continued responding to widespread outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in FY 2023. To help 

inform the response, APHIS continued surveillance for the disease in wild birds to provide an indication 

of where additional avian influenza detections may occur in domestic poultry and help target 

surveillance. The program continued conducting surveillance for African swine fever (ASF) in feral swine 

in high-risk areas of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South 

Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas (expanding from four states in FY 2022 to 10 states in FY 2023) as well as 

the Caribbean territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program also began to expand 

efforts to detect and remove feral swine and conduct ASF surveillance in counties along the southern 

border with Mexico in Arizona and New Mexico. Under funding provided by the American Rescue Plan 

Act, the program continued surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer and added additional cervid 

species such as mule deer and elk. The program collected more than 13,000 samples in FY 2023 and 

gained insight into disease spread between humans and cervids. In addition, APHIS is assisting the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona State University to begin a sampling program for avian circoviruses, 

which cause immune suppression and potentially death in domestic and wild birds, adding this disease 

to the list of those sampled in wildlife and meeting the program’s annual target.

Number of Priority Pests for Which Climate Sustainability Maps Have Been Completed

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 14 24 32 38 Pests Increase

Actual --- --- 6 16 24 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023

APHIS is developing climate suitability maps for high-risk plant pests to support early detection efforts.

APHIS completed maps for eight high-risk pests in FY 2023, bringing the cumulative number of maps to

24 and meeting the program’s annual target. The maps focus on pests that could have destructive

effects on a variety of specialty crops, forest resources, wheat, soybeans, and ornamental trees, 

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

46

illustrating where the pests could become established based on suitable climate conditions. The

program established an expanded team of entomologists, pathologists, and plant ecologists to address

challenges in modeling suitability for pests with complex life cycles, such as long dormant periods or

other complicating factors. The program will create a panel of users to help determine how to present 

maps for pests with complex life cycles and develop a user guide. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

In FY 2025, APHIS will complete six new climate suitability maps for a cumulative total of 38 maps and will 

begin updating previously completed maps with the latest climatic and scientific data. APHIS develops the

maps using a modeling framework that predicts the changing suitability of an area for pest or disease

occurrence based on the likelihood of favorable conditions specific to the pest or the disease occurring. 

The maps will help guide efforts to determine where to conduct surveys. Importantly, the maps will help 

APHIS and cooperators use survey resources more effectively by eliminating the need to survey for some

high-risk pests if suitable conditions do not exist in an area.

Percent of U.S. Swine Inventory Enrolled in Swine Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Pilot

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- N/A N/A 70 % Swine Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- 60 N/A N/A

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

The U.S. SHIP program is a key part of APHIS’ national plan to safeguard U.S. pork production from ASF 

and other diseases. This program provides support for industry leadership on sustainable solutions to ASF 

preparedness and prevention, and participation in this program will ensure an increase in biosecurity and 

traceability practices that will enhance APHIS’ ability to control disease and return to productivity and 

marketability in the event of an ASF incursion in the swine sector. APHIS plans to expand the current pilot 

to a permanent program and this KPI will help measure the success of enrolling industry in the program.

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

47

Objective 2.2: Build Resilient Food Systems, Infrastructure, and Supply Chain

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Approached adequate staffing levels (between 87 percent and 91 percent) for AMS’ livestock and 

poultry graders. Based on analysis of recruitment and retention data, AMS’ Livestock and Poultry 

Program expanded recruitment incentives to all Agricultural Commodity Grader locations 

beginning in February 2023 to meet hiring needs in mission-critical series.

Challenges

• Continued to face hiring challenges in hard-to-fill duty locations; creative recruitment strategies 

and retention incentives have contributed favorably to outcomes.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Agricultural Marketing Service

2 2 Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

48

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE

Percentage of Graders’ Time Recovered Through Customer Billing (Poultry Livestock)

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 83% 83 87 87 87 87 % of 

Time Decrease

Actual --- 95 94.5 94 95.2 N/A N/A

Percentage of Graders’ Time Recovered Through Customer Billing (Meat Livestock)

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 83 83 87 87 87 87 % of 

Time Decrease 

Actual --- 93 94.9 94.4 96.4 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Recruitment of Agricultural Commodity Graders increased between FY 2021 and FY 2023, with 115 hires 

in FY 2021 and 133 in FY 2023, while attrition rate decreased, from 8.67% in FY 2021 to 7.28% in FY 2023.

A total of 635 retention incentives were initiated in FY 2023 for Agricultural Commodity Graders, with 603 

processed in October 2023.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

AMS is continuing to assess attrition and hiring challenges. A key challenge for AMS is competition in the 

labor pool. However, creative hiring strategies and recruitment efforts have helped address this challenge. 

In addition, retention incentives for current employees will likely contribute favorably to attrition 

challenges. 

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Objective 2.3: Foster Agricultural Innovation

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Developed and released the USDA’s first ever Science and Research Strategy 2023-2026: 

Cultivating Scientific Innovation (S&RS). This document coordinates the forward-looking research 

priorities and innovative ideas of all eight USDA Mission Areas. Looking forward to FY 2024, the 

OCS is conducting an extensive stakeholder engagement initiative to move the strategy from 

“intention to implementation.” It is anticipated that OCS and the S&RS will continue to foster and 

drive Ag innovation through new partnerships while strengthening existing. 

• Released USDA’s Agriculture “Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (AGARDA’s): 

Vision for Disruptive Science to Confront Audacious Challenges” Roadmap in FY 2023. The 

document outlines the imperative for a new approach to deliver disruptive breakthrough 

discoveries for agriculture and details a strategic framework for how the program will be executed 

when appropriated funding is received at the authorized level plus contingencies for various other 

funding levels. 

Challenges

• Measuring the impact of science innovation has traditionally proved challenging as there is often 

a delay from when research is funded until impact is realized. However, the OCS is leading the 

science community in exploring new ways in which to measure and articulate the impact of its 

scientific research and innovations. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Office of the Chief Scientist – Research, Education, and Economics

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U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST – RESEARCH, EDUCATION, & ECONOMICS

Intellectual Property (IP) funded by NIFA - Count of Reports of Intellectual property supported by NIFA 

funding

 FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- N/A N/A 231 Inventions Increase 

Actual --- --- --- --- 211 N/A N/A 

New KPI Description 

This is a new KPI for FY 2025 and includes two components, inventions and patents, both of which indicate 

the progress towards the protection of Intellectual Property (IP). Supported by funding from NIFA, this KPI 

demonstrates USDA successes support IP lifecycle, including compliance monitoring by the Bayh-Dole Act. 

Selection of this KPI is in line with anticipated modernization and prioritization of this publicly funded 

asset. The metric includes reporting to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) system 

iEdison which supports funding recipient Bayh-Dole responsibilities to report subject inventions, patents 

filed to protect subject inventions, and utilization. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

NIFA plans to increase emphasis and importance of report IP for NIFA grantees. REE will review NIFA terms 

and conditions and the financial policy guide language to ensure alignment with updates to Bayh-Dole. 

REE may also consider an information webinar or resource guide for NIFA grantees to increase awareness 

of this reporting requirement. 

Count of Journal Article Publications Reported to NIFA, Published from NIFA-funded Research, 

Education and Extension 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- N/A N/A 13,025 Publications Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- 9,784 N/A N/A

New KPI Description 

This is a new KPI for FY 2025 which measures the number of published journal articles that are reported 

to NIFA from NIFA-funded research, education, and extension. By tracking the reach of NIFA-funded 

research and its related publications, REE is able to monitor and drive accessibility, usability and reach of 

its science, expanding opportunities for new innovations and impact. Additionally, NIFA expects to see 

this number increase with the issuance of Departmental Regulation 1020-006, “Public Access to Scholarly 

Publications and Digital Scientific Research Data” ensuring that USDA science is increasingly accessible to 

its stakeholders and scientific community. This new KPI has been co-developed with the National 

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Agriculture Library (NAL) where NIFA grantees can submit publication info to PubAg to collect and track 

data.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

NIFA will host an informational webinar along with NAL in October 2023 on how to submit publications to 

PubAg. This webinar will be heavily advertised to NIFA stakeholders and grantees and also recorded and 

posted to an external webpage. NIFA terms and conditions and financial policy guide will be updated 

based on DR 1020-006. NIFA continues to collaborate with NAL via an interagency agreement to conduct 

a gap analysis on NIFA-funded publications (reported) in other databases vs PubAg. NIFA will pursue an 

application programming interface to PubAg in the future for both of primary post award reporting 

systems. 

Number of Citations of REE Reports (NASS/ERS)

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 119 122 126 129 134 N/A Reports Increase

Actual --- 134 82 95 70 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025. 

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, USDA conducted extensive analysis of both data sources and data distribution. The policy 

needs for products fluctuate as new interests and policy problems arise, making it challenging to directly 

influence this metric. 

Percent of USDA Patents Licensed per Patents Issued

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 25 35 35 35 35 35

% of 

Patents 

Licensed

Maintain 

Actual --- 26 50 55 100 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, the ratio of patents licensed per patents issued was 100 percent, exceeding the 35 percent

target. However, the target will not be raised because ARS identified that an average of one-third (patents 

licensed/issued patents) would be an appropriate range based upon the analysis of research outcomes 

and its adoption. For non-USDA Agencies, the average of one-third (patents licensed/issued patents) may 

not be appropriate. The percent of patents licensed is an indicator of the commercialization of patented 

research outcomes. Due to the inability to accurately predict the needs of the future, a high percent target 

may miss important research outcomes that would need to be protected for adoption and 

commercialization. A lower target would protect a higher number of research outcomes that would not 

be commercially viable. Over time, the goal is to have approximately one-third of issued patents licensed. 

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Although the year in which a license is signed is not typically the year in which the patent has issued, over 

time the ratio of newly signed licenses over the number of newly issued patents may be an indicator of 

“judicious” patenting contemplating among other things commercial viability of the technology. For the 

last 10 years, the average is approximately 37 percent which is within the target range of 1/3 of issued 

patents being licensed. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

This target is constant over a multiple-year period based upon historical adoption of USDA’s research 

outcomes. Most of REE’s research outcomes are not transferred through a patent license. Because the 

REE mission is to transfer research outcomes for broad public use by the most effective mechanism, REE 

only pursues patents and licensing principally to incentivize commercialization and to facilitate adoption 

in the marketplace. This is usually the case when complementary investment by the private sector is 

necessary to commercialize a product, and patent protection is required to protect this investment. As a 

result, the ratio of the number of patents newly licensed per year over the number of patents issued that 

year would not be an indicator for the adoption of many REE research outcomes. Instead, the percent of 

patents licensed is an indicator of the commercialization of patented research outcomes. Because it is not 

possible to accurately predict the needs of the future, a high percent target may miss important research 

outcomes that would need to be protected for adoption and commercialization. A lower target would 

protect a higher number of research outcomes that would not be commercially viable. The current goal is 

to have approximately one-third of issued patents licensed. Although the year in which a license is signed 

is not typically the year in which the patent has issued, over time the ratio of newly signed licenses over 

the number of newly issued patents may be an indicator of “judicious” patenting contemplating among 

other things commercial viability of the technology. 

ARS Peer Reviewed Publications (ARS) 

 FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 3500 Publications Retain 

Actual --- --- --- --- --- --- N/A 

New KPI Description 

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025 and monitors the number of ARS authored, peer-reviewed 

publications in the fiscal year. Currently, ARS has ~660 research projects across 15 National Programs, and 

each of these projects produces publications as one of their outputs. Publications are the industryaccepted measure of best practice for researcher productivity. Additionally, publications help to foster 

innovation by ensuring a continual stream of new ideas, research, and data for the scientific community. 

Due to funding fluctuations, the target seeks to maintain a steady state over a multi-year period. ARS 

authored, peer-reviewed publications are housed in the National Agricultural Library and can be found 

using the search feature found here: SEARCH | National Agricultural Library - "Agricultural Research 

Service" OR "USDA ARS".

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The target is an average of the last five years of publications. In the ARS policies and procedures, the 

performance plan for ARS Category 1 scientists states, “The minimum requirement for report results can 

Goal 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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be met by authorship on two manuscripts of original research for refereed journals with authorship at any 

level, adhering to ARS guidelines on Authorship requirements.” ARS does not anticipate many more or 

less publications than 3,500 per year and anticipates reaching at least 3,500 publications with the two 

publication requirements written into the performance plans. The target was previously 4,000 

publications but has been lowered to 3,500 because the average publications has decreased over the last 

five years due to disruptions due to COVID: in some instances, scientists were unable to access their data 

or labs during the pandemic resulting in delayed or decreased publications. ARS publications for both FY 

2022 and FY 2023 were below 4,000 prompting the change in this KPI’s target. 

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U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for 

All Agricultural Producers 

Expanding international marketing opportunities for U.S. farmers and exporters is critical to fostering 

business and income growth across rural America. USDA promotes American agricultural products and 

exports by expanding overseas markets, developing international standards, removing trade barriers by 

monitoring and enforcing existing trade agreements, and negotiating trade agreements that benefit the 

U.S. agricultural economy. USDA provides tools to domestic producers so that they are well-positioned to 

secure a share of the growing global market for agricultural products. USDA also works with developing 

countries to grow their economies and facilitate trade, developing markets of the future for all USDA’s

producers. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 3.1: Foster Sustainable Economic Growth by Promoting Innovation, Building 

Resilience to Climate Change, and Expanding Renewable Energy

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Published the Seed Report entitled “More and Better Choices for Farmers: Promoting Fair 

Competition and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs” on March 6, 2023. 

• Developed a Climate Smart Toolkit to inform customers about the use of Farm Loans as a credit 

source for financing conservation practices and precision ag equipment; publication scheduled 

for January 2024.

• Completed/have in-progress 20 of the 27 recommendations from Farm Loan Program’s DEIA 

Working Group, such as reducing barriers to credit access by simplifying the loan application, 

adding program education information online such as the Loan Assistance Tool, and signing an 

interagency agreement with NIFA to develop a network of NGOs to provide technical assistance 

to customers applying for Direct loan origination or servicing (launch in mid-to late summer 2024). 

• Paid to distressed Direct and Guaranteed Loan borrowers nearly $2 billion of the $3.1 billion in 

supplemental program funding provided in Section 22006 of IRA. 

Challenges

• Clearing livestock final rule through inter-agency review; this challenging process is underway. 

• The choice of producers to transition to organic will depend on market demand, which is not 

under agency control.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Farm Service Agency

• Risk Management Agency 

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FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

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FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Percentage of Direct and Guaranteed Loan Borrowers Who Are Beginning Farmers

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 53.0 59.9 59.9 59.9 59.9 59.9 59.9 % of 

Borrowers Increase

Actual 54.5 58.6 59.9 60.9 63 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

FSA exceeded its FY 2023 target. Lending to beginning farmers continues to represent nearly two-thirds 

of loan customers.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The Farm Loan Program (FLP) is expanding its data analytics capabilities to track progress and identify 

gaps for lending to beginning farmers. Continued implementation of automation plans is needed to 

improve employee loan making/servicing and provide risk management tools for customers. FLP is using 

its loan making and servicing flexibilities to assist producers who have cash flow challenges.

First Installment Delinquency Rate on Direct Loans

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 8 8 9 9 9 8 Delinquency 

Rate (%) Decrease

Actual --- 9.9 13.8 8.4 5.9 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Delinquency rates are cyclical across traditional growing cycles, but FSA has met (or exceeded) annual 

targets consistently.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

This KPI measures Farm Loan Officers’ credit quality assessment of loan requests. As part of its internal 

control regime, FLP implemented credit quality reviews of farm loan officers in FY 2021 for compliance 

with loan making and servicing directives, and these reviews will continue. With allowance for 

exceptions due to natural or economic disasters, loans should not become delinquent in the first year. 

Realistic cash flow projections and forecasted commodity/livestock prices are factors inspected in credit 

quality reviews.

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Direct Loan Delinquency Rate

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 7 7 7 7 7 7 Delinquency 

Rate (%) Decrease

Actual --- 4.3 4.7 4.5 1.5 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

The significant decline in this KPI is largely due to IRA, Section 22006, payments resolving loan 

delinquencies. The rate may continue to decline as complex cases (bankruptcies, foreclosures) are 

resolved. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

Flexibilities for FLP loan making and servicing are being provided to the extent that statute and regulations 

allow for producers experiencing cash flow challenges. Automated risk management tools for customers 

are being planned and will be implemented as part of FLP's delivery modernization.

RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Improper Payment Rate for All Categories of Payments

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 2.09 2.26 2.38 2.38 Payment 

Rate (%) Decrease

Actual --- --- 1.41 2.58 2.64 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

RMA completed the FY 2023 Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012

(IPERIA) Reviews and reported a calculated error rate and Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to OMB on October 

27th, as required. Despite reporting an error rate higher than the estimated target rate, RMA has 

maintained a tolerable error rate for the past nine years. The estimated error rate is RMA's prediction of 

the agency's error rate for the subsequent reporting period and is easily influenced by many factors (i.e., 

natural disasters, introduction of new programs, changes to current programs, program participation, 

etc.). As a result, RMA’s primary goal is to sustain a tolerable error rate as this is a more accurate indicator 

of the agency’s performance. The CAP is derived from a thorough analysis of the FY 2023 results data and 

consists of steps RMA will take to help reduce improper payments in the federal crop insurance program. 

Currently, RMA's Regional Compliance Offices (RCOs) are reviewing documents uploaded from the 

Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) for the FY 2024 IPERIA review cycle. As reviews are completed, RCO's 

will issue Initial Findings or Closure Letters to the AIPs. 

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U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

RMA utilizes KPI data from the prior year to add areas of focus for the upcoming year’s compliance 

review cycle. Focusing on prior year’s root causes of errors helps to ensure the agency addresses any 

deficiencies so that errors are less likely to be repeated. The adoption of new products and insurance 

options presents additional opportunities for errors and improper payments.

Annual Normalized Value of Risk Protection Provided to Agricultural Producers through the Federal 

Crop Insurance Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 77.3 77.6 77.9 78.2 78.5 78.8 81.1 Billion 

Dollars Increase

Actual 78.2 84.1 87.9 94.4 100 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, RMA conducted outreach efforts including the RMA Roadshow for the Whole Farm Revenue 

Protection and Micro Farm Policies. The agency expanded Margin Protection coverage. RMA also 

implemented pilot programs for grapevines, kiwifruit, pomegranates, shellfish, and controlled 

environment agriculture as well as implemented program improvements for numerous commodities 

including sesame, sugar beets, hemp, olives, grass seed, camelina, pistachios, and Florida citrus fruit. RMA 

implemented a tropical storm option for the Hurricane Insurance-Wind Index program. Finally, RMA 

maintained partnerships with the states of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, and Wisconsin for a state-funded 

cover crop incentive. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

RMA utilizes KPI data from the prior year to add areas of focus for the upcoming year’s outreach efforts. 

RMA has identified two challenges to address in FY 2024 – training agents and farmers about new 

coverage to maximize participation. Ad hoc disaster assistance has been provided each year from 2017 

through 2023. Farmers may consider reducing their crop insurance coverage if they believe similar types 

of assistance will continue in the future.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 3.2: Expand Markets for Emerging Technologies, Sustainable Products, and Novel 

Products

Accomplishments

• Developed and launched the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Relending Program (MPILP), Meat 

and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), and Indigenous Animals Harvesting and 

Meat Processing Grant Program (IAG) to increase marketing opportunities for producers by 

creating decentralized and diversified supply chains to improve resilience and farmer incomes.

• Developed and executed a strategic action plan for managing the outcome of a key vote on 

maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the veterinary drug zilpaterol, which culminated in the interim 

adoption of the MRLs at the 45th Session of the Commission.

• Hosted the 53rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, advancing major food safety

texts on Shigatoxin-producing E. coli and safe reuse of water for final adoption by the Commission. 

• Two new winter oilseed crops that can be feedstocks for sustainable aviation fuel were developed 

by USDA supported research and now have commercial plantings in 2023 with industrial project 

partners CoverCress for pennycress and Nuseed for carinata. The new crops will help diversify 

crop portfolios, increase farmgate income, support bioeconomy jobs, and provide new sources of 

feedstock for fuel and for livestock feed without using additional farm land.

Challenges

• Tight deadlines to stand up new programs. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Foreign Agricultural Service

• Natural Resources Conservation Service

• Agricultural Marketing Service

• Office of the Chief Scientist — Research, Education, and Economics

Goal 3
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FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE 

Progress Made in FY 2023

In FY 2023, FAS accelerated its operational tempo to pre-pandemic levels – and beyond – while also 

deepening its strategic planning efforts to advance the global adoption and use of products of agricultural 

biotechnologies. Through a blend of policy expertise, strategic thinking, and results-oriented 

programming, FAS, in partnership with trade and regulatory agencies, took actions to maintain and or 

expand markets for U.S. exporters of agricultural products derived from biotechnology, whose sales 

abroad in 2023 totaled over $59 billion [corn, soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, cotton, and distillers’ 

grains]. Notable examples include: supporting U.S. government efforts to maintain market access for U.S. 

biotech corn exports to Mexico through high-level U.S. Government-Government of Mexico diplomacy 

and the United States- Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Dispute Panel on Mexico’s Agricultural 

Biotechnology Measures; advancing the adoption and use of agricultural biotechnology within the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (AEPC) region, a market representing 74 percent of U.S. exports in 2022; 

promoting the science-based decision making for genome editing in the EU to help meet key sustainability 

and food security goals, and at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), to unlock the potential of 

genomics and genome editing to enhance sustainable dairy production in Sub-Saharan Arica; and 

engaging with like-minded partners to collectively advance the use of transparent, science-based 

regulatory approaches for agricultural biotechnologies globally. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

Looking forward, agricultural biotechnology is poised to play an increasingly pivotal, positive role in 

addressing global climate change challenges, food insecurity, and supply and value chain issues – but only 

to the extent that its potential is not artificially limited by non-science-based regulatory and trade barriers. 

In FY 2025, FAS plans to continue efforts to address or remove trade barriers; facilitate global acceptance 

of innovative technologies; enhance and promote science-based decision making; and engage in global 

dialogues. FAS will continue efforts to promote exports of U.S. products of agricultural biotechnology by 

ensuring that trading partners’ policies and regulations are science-based, risk-proportionate, and 

consistent with their trade obligations, as well as advance the global understanding of current and 

potential agricultural applications of biotech, so that U.S. farmers’ access to the innovative technologies 

– and to current and future market opportunities – is not unfairly constrained.

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

Progress Made in FY 2023

NRCS has obligated approximately $3 Billion in grants under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart 

Commodities funding opportunity, which are building markets and investing in America’s climate-smart 

farmers, ranchers, and forest owners to strengthen U.S. rural and agricultural communities. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, NRCS is supporting the production and 

marketing of climate-smart commodities through a set of pilot projects that provide voluntary incentives 

through partners to producers and landowners, including early adopters, to:

• implement climate-smart production practices, activities, and systems on working lands,

• measure/quantify, monitor, and verify the carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits associated 

with those practices, and

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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• develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities.

Projects will provide meaningful benefits to a representative cross-section of production agriculture, 

including small and underserved producers.

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE 

Progress Made in FY 2023

Packers and Stockyards Division

The Packers and Stockyards Division (PSD) is continuing its market-level price monitoring program for fed 

cattle and hog markets. PSD’s price monitoring program includes a weekly internal reporting protocol 

based on statistical models for fed cattle and hog markets. The statistical models rely on publicly reported 

price data to identify regional prices that are outside the range of prices predicted by the models. PSD 

investigates any fed cattle and hog prices that are outside the range predicted by price monitoring models. 

PSD also continues conducting investigations of alleged unfair or anti-competitive conduct in the livestock, 

meat, and poultry industries. These investigations are triggered by complaints from industry participants 

or from PSD’s internal industry monitoring and surveillance. AMS is currently engaged in rulemaking 

efforts that will enhance PSD’s ability to conduct investigations of alleged unfair or anti-competitive 

conduct in the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.

Finalizing Organic Rules

Strengthening Organic Enforcement

• AMS published the Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule on January 19, 2023. This 

rulemaking amends the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the 

production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. Key updates include:

• Requiring certification of more of the businesses, including brokers and traders, at critical links in 

organic supply chains.

• Requiring National Organic Program Import Certificates for all organic imports.

• Requiring organic identification on nonretail containers.

• Increasing authority for more rigorous on-site inspections of certified operations.

• Requiring uniform qualification and training standards for organic inspectors and certifying agent 

personnel.

• Requires standardized certificates of organic operation.

• Requires additional and more frequent reporting of data on certified operations.

• Creates authority for more robust recordkeeping, traceability practices, and fraud prevention 

procedures.

• Specify certification requirements for producer groups.

Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards

AMS published the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards final rule on November 2, 2023. This rule 

establishes clear, strong, and consistent standards for organic livestock and poultry production, levels the 

playing field for organic livestock farmers, ranchers and businesses and promotes fairer, more competitive 

markets for their products, while providing consumers with more transparency about their purchases. 

The final rule outlines more consistent standards for six key areas, including:

• Outdoor space requirements,

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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• Indoor and outdoor living conditions,

• Poultry stocking densities,

• Preventative health care practices,

• Physical alterations and euthanasia, and

• Transport, handling, and slaughter.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

AMS will continue to conduct investigations of alleged unfair or anti-competitive conduct in the livestock, 

meat, and poultry industries. By FY 2025, AMS is expected to have recruited and onboarded an Associate 

Administrator with a focused role of developing, administering, and coordinating regulatory 

programs/activities, particularly those relating to fair and competitive markets. 

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement and Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards final rules were 

published in January 2023 and November 2023, respectively. AMS will continue to enforce these 

regulatory requirements and review the rules as necessary.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST — RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

ARS bio-technology results in new technologies that help farmers, domestically and abroad, be more 

productive, reduce input costs, and has environmental benefits. The data attempts to measure products 

and tools that are market ready. Patents are an indicator of commercialization and demonstrate there is 

a market need for the research and technologies ARS scientists produce. REE pursues patents and 

licensing to incentivize commercialization and patent protection is required to protect complementary 

investment by the private sector into ARS technologies. 

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 3.3: Expand All Producers’ Access to Global Markets Through Negotiation and 

Enforcement of Trade Agreements

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Participated in the first Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) for the UN Plastics 

Agreement in November 2022.

• Initiated a second dairy case under the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) after 

determining that Canada had yet to fully comply with the terms of its tariff rate quota (TRQ) 

allocation for dairy products. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has also initiated 

consultations with Mexico on biotech.

Challenges

• Convincing global trading partners about the science and efficacy of the U.S. position and having 

sufficient funding to do trade capacity building initiatives to demonstrate the U.S position.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Foreign Agricultural Service

1 1 Future

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Future

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Future

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FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

64

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

Value of Trade Preserved Through Resolution of Foreign Market Access Issues6

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 5.5 6.00 6.10 6.10 5.70 5.70 5.70 Billion 

Dollars Increase

Actual 2.47 7.67 5.89 6.427 4.93 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In 2023, FAS, in partnership with the regulatory agencies who have statutory authority over the respective 

products, took actions that opened markets and preserved access for nearly $5.0 billion in U.S. agricultural 

exports. Notable examples include opening markets for grapefruit to Vietnam valued at $15 million 

annually, processed poultry to Senegal valued at $21 million, new access for pork and lamb to Ghana, 

bovine semen to Algeria valued at $50,000; securing access to Japan for ethanol valued at more than $180 

million; restoring access for natural casings to the EU valued at $13 million; persuading Bangladesh to 

remove a fumigation requirement on cotton, generating easier access to a market worth $475 million; 

and negotiating the elimination of India’s tariffs on $1 billion in tree nuts, lentils worth $50 million, and 

apples recently worth $157 million. FAS also negotiated the release of hundreds of detained shipments 

from the United States to dozens of counties. These shipments represent well over $10 million and range 

from cooking oil in China, cheese in Costa Rica, grapefruit in Germany, to pepperoni in Thailand. Detained 

shipments risk being destroyed and have an immediate impact on U.S. companies, especially small and 

medium-sized companies, as well as a ripple effect on farmers, ranchers, and producers, that cannot 

afford to lose an entire container or more of product.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

This performance indicator measures the value of trade preserved through the resolution of foreign 

market access issues, such as U.S. export detainment, issues related to sanitary and phytosanitary 

concerns, technical barriers to trade, and trade regulations. In FY 2025, FAS plans to continue efforts to 

diversify markets and opportunities abroad by focusing and identifying markets and products that present 

the greatest export opportunities for American Agriculture. The FAS economic global market review will 

assist in identifying export opportunities, presenting options for more robust foreign engagement, and 

cooperative multilateral economic and trade forums. FAS is committed to monitoring and enforcing 

existing trade agreements, including addressing unfair trade practices, facilitating trade, and ensuring that 

trading partners meet their commitments.

6 Foreign market access issues include U.S. export detainment, sanitary/phytosanitary concerns, technical barriers 

to trade, and trade regulations.

7 FY 2022 actual changed from $1.77 billion to $6.42 billion, reflecting data validation.

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

65

Objective 3.4: Expand International Marketing Opportunities and Build Demand in 

Developing Countries Through Delivery of Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Expanded international marketing opportunities and promoted network building between U.S. 

exporters and foreign importers. Innovative approach in outreach to developing countries and 

new markets using virtual trade events. Improved outcomes (i.e., increased KPI results) and 

efficiency due to integration of mobile application into trade missions and endorsed trade shows.

• Hosted 4 virtual colloquia on the Codex Committees for Residues of Veterinary Drugs (CCRVDF); 

Nutrition (CCNFSDU); Food Additives (CCFA); and Contaminants (CCCF).

Challenges

• USDA is largely dependent on funding from reimbursable programs with the U.S. Agency for 

International Development or the U.S. Department of State to do capacity building that leads to 

trade-enabling agricultural economic development polices in low- and middle-income countries.

• COVID-19 pandemic and staff attrition in certain countries (particularly within Asia) has weakened 

communication and relationships.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Foreign Agricultural Service

1 1 Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

66

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

Value of Agricultural Exports Resulting from Participation in USDA-Endorsed Foreign Agricultural 

Trade Shows and Trade Missions

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 1.75 2.13 1.75 1.75 2.00 2.15 2.30 Billion 

Dollars Increase

Actual 2.20 1.16 0.119 2.3 1.73 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, USDA endorsed a total of 24 trade shows that occurred and an additional four trade shows – 

in Asia – that were canceled. The 24 USDA-endorsed trade shows featured 797 U.S. companies and 

organizations across 17 countries, drawing buyers from all over the world. Projected 12-month sales 

reported by U.S. exhibitors at the shows were estimated at $1.66 billion. 

USDA/FAS hosted six Agribusiness Trade Missions in FY 2023 to East Africa, Spain, Panama, Netherlands, 

Japan, and Chile. A total of 129 U.S. agribusinesses across these six Trade Missions participated in 1,744 

business-to-business meetings, generating $70.4 million in on-site and projected 12-month sales. FAS also 

hosted two unique virtual trade events (VTEs) in the Canadian market focused on healthy and natural 

foods and pet food. These VTEs resulted in 86 business to business meetings and generated $150,000 in 

12-month projected sales for U.S. exporters who were unable to travel to these international markets. 

The 28th annual Gulfood trade show was held February 20-24, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Gulfood 2023 hosted 5,223 exhibitors from 125 countries with 134,460 visitors. The USA Pavilion 

welcomed 157 U.S. exporters (including 11 Cooperators, 4 SRTGs, and 5 State Departments of Agriculture 

(SDoAs)) reporting $18,620,000 in on-site sales and $170,600,000 in projected 12-month sales. U.S. 

exhibitors showcased 1,128 products and made 2,406 serious contacts. FAS Administrator Whitley 

attended the show to visit with U.S. exhibitors and cooperators and to take part in a gumbo cooking 

demonstration highlighting U.S. poultry. In addition to local buyers in the UAE, over 60 FAS-sponsored 

buyers from India, Tunisia, France, Bulgaria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Cote D’Ivoire, and 

Ghana attended Gulfood to visit the USA Pavilion.

SIAL Paris (Salon International de l’Alimentation) was held October 19-23, 2022, in Paris, France and 

welcomed over 7,000 exhibitors and over 265,000 visitors, of which 87 percent were international visitors 

from over 200 countries. The USA Pavilion welcomed 138 U.S. exporters (including 10 Cooperator, 4 

SRTGS, and 5 SDoAs) reporting over $332.6.1 million in projected 12-month sales and $9.6 million in onsite sales. New to the show this year was the USA Pavilion expanding into the Dairy Hall and the creation 

of a matchmaking service between FAS lead buyer delegations and U.S. companies. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

FAS plans to host six Agribusiness Trade Missions and support between 20-24 USA Pavilions at USDAendorsed International Trade Shows. Updated branding at trade shows and focusing on targeted product 

sectors for USDA Trade Missions is expected to help FAS meet its targets. While FAS does not plan to 

increase the number of events, FAS will work to utilize technology and new marketing ideas to improve 

the quality of interactions at these events. 

Goal 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

67

Goal 4: Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans 

USDA plays a critical role in preventing foodborne illness and protecting public health, while also ensuring 

Americans have access to healthy foods and beverages and nutrition education that supports American 

agriculture and inspires public confidence. While keeping the food supply safe, USDA must also reduce 

food insecurity and prioritize nutrition insecurity, which emphasizes providing Americans not just calories, 

but calories that matter for their health and well-being. 

To ensure the food supply is safe, the Department will continue to enhance its food inspection system 

with the goal of reducing illness from meat, poultry, and egg products and drive compliance with food 

safety regulations. At the same time, USDA’s research, education, and extension programs will continue 

to provide science, information, tools, and technologies to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. 

USDA will also continue to foster partnerships that support best practices in implementing effective 

programs to ensure that eligible populations have access to programs that support their nutrition needs.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

68

Objective 4.1: Increase Food Security Through Assistance and Access to Nutritious and 

Affordable Food

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Launched a mobile application to support remote distribution sites in the Food Distribution 

Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). Developed requirements for evaluating round 1 of the 

FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project as part of the FDPIR Characteristics Study, with 

a report expected in FY 2025. 

• As part of the food system transformation framework, Secretary Vilsack announced nearly $40 

million to support GusNIP Produce Prescription projects using funding from the American Rescue 

Plan Act. $21 million in awards were finalized that supported 43 FY 2022 Produce Prescription 

Program proposals. Among these awardees, 95% are first-time applicants to the GusNIP Produce 

Prescription Program, and 60% are new entries overall.

• Developed and launched the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program 

(IAG). IAG is designed to support the priorities of Tribal Nations in meeting the needs of traditional 

harvesting methods and indigenous animals. The program will fund projects which invest in Tribal 

Nations’ supply chain resiliency, indigenous animals, restoring local indigenous food systems, and 

indigenous processing methods, and expanding local capacity.

Challenges

• Access to food is measured by the food insecurity rate prepared annually by ERS. This 

measurement fluctuates and is impacted by several factors, including population, policies, and 

economic conditions.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Food and Nutrition Service

• Office of the Chief Scientist – Research, Education, and Economics

1

1

2 Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

69

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

Percentage of American Households with Consistent, Dependable Access to Food

CY 

2019

CY 

2020

CY 

2021

CY 

2022

CY 

2023

CY 

2024

CY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 87.9 89.0 89.2 89.3 89.4 89.5 89.6 % of 

Households Increase

Actual 89.5 89.5 89.8 87.2 TBD N/A N/A

CY 2023 data will be available in fall 2024.

Progress Made in FY 2023 

• Released guidance on implementing non-congregate meal service through the SFSP and NSLP 

Seamless Summer Option (SSO) for rural areas with no congregate meal service.

• Finalized a rule to expand the Community Eligibility Provision.

• Submitted proposed rule for clearance: Food Distribution Programs: Improving Access and Parity.

• Solicited additional ITO participation in the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project through 

the publication of a “Round 2” federal notice. 

• Released Request for Applications for a second round of TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants for States. 

• Increased Access to Summer Feeding in Rural Areas. Starting in summer 2023, FNS allowed certain 

rural areas to distribute summer meals to kids outside of the typically required group (congregate) 

settings through the Summer Food Service Program and National School Lunch Program Seamless 

Summer Option. 

• The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee membership was announced, and public meetings 

were held.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, FNS will continue implementing the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program, 

expand non-congregate summer meals in rural areas under certain circumstances, and lower the 

Community Eligibility Provision threshold, which is expected to reduce food insecurity. In addition, FNS 

will continue to support efforts to update and promote the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) for 

2025-2030. The DGAs are updated every five years. FNS will also conduct research to support the next 

reevaluation of the TFP, which is scheduled to be released in 2026. The TFP represents a healthy, practical, 

and cost-conscious diet for low-income households living in today’s food environment, and is based on 

current food prices, consumption data, the nutrients in food, and the latest dietary guidance. The cost of 

the TFP serves as the basis for the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit 

allotment. 

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

70

Annual Average Monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rate

FY 

2019

FY

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 82.1 82.2 82.3 82.3 Participation 

Rate (%) Increase

Actual 82 78 N/A8 TBD TBD N/A N/A

FY 2022 data will be available in Spring 2024. FY 2023 data may be available in late 2024.

Progress Made in FY 2023 

• Expanded online shopping to 50 States and the District of Columbia in 2023, enabling 99 percent of 

SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase food online. Over 210 retailer chains, representing 

thousands of storefronts, are participating as SNAP online retailers. 

• Direct marketing farmers are now able to accept SNAP payment online due to a partnership 

between USDA and the National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP). 

SNAP participants can now purchase produce online from participating local farmers for pick-up or 

delivery. 

• Awarded a grant to a SNAP Electronic e-Benefits Transfer Modernization Technical Assistance Center 

to assist independent, small, and rural retailers with adopting SNAP online purchasing. 

• Provided technical assistance for State agencies to support the end of the Federal COVID-19 Public 

Health Emergency.

• SNAP worked to implement the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in a manner that 

ensured compliance with the law. FNS provided ongoing technical assistance to state agencies to 

ensure that eligible participants maintain access to the program and do not improperly lose benefits. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, FNS will continue to work with state agencies to ensure access and reduce barriers to SNAP 

benefits for eligible people while also providing technical assistance to implement provisions of the Fiscal 

Responsibility Act of 2023. FNS will implement a research study to evaluate the impact of EBT 

modernization on a range of indicators such as program performance, access, equity, and cost. FNS will 

also initiate a study with the aim to create a comprehensive inventory of SNAP Employment and Training 

(E&T) providers and their locations to help participants find services and for FNS and States to identify 

gaps in coverage. FNS will also publish a proposed rule to modernize SNAP benefit issuance and increase 

program integrity.

8 FNS will not have SNAP Participation Rate for FY 2021 because the collection of SNAP Quality Control data was waived 

due to the pandemic. This data is used in the numerator of the participation rate.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

71

Number of States Participating in the Summer EBT Program

CY 

2019

CY 

2020

CY 

2021

CY 

2022

CY 

2023

CY 

2024

CY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 27 40 Number of 

States Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

Summer EBT is a new program established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) 

that will provide grocery benefits to children from low-income households during the summer months to 

provide continued access to nutrition when school is not in session. This KPI is a count of the total number 

of notices of intent that are submitted by States each year. States, territories, and tribes have to submit a 

notice of intent to FNS by January 1 of each year for the upcoming summer period. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

FNS has made significant efforts to support State participation in Summer EBT including educating States 

about Summer EBT, providing technical assistance through a variety of venues, issuing early guidance, 

holding numerous listening sessions, attending industry conferences, and facilitating sharing among 

States. As part of this, FNS is in the process of developing a protype application and is working with 

external stakeholders who are producing technical assistance materials and/or have funding available to 

support State Summer EBT programs. To encourage States that are not already operating the program 

to administer Summer EBT in 2025, FNS will need to continue the activities noted above. FNS may also 

need to facilitate cooperation between States, help identify funds to cover State administrative 

expenses and identify other resources and strategic partnerships to support State implementation. 

Number of Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) Participating in the Summer EBT Program

CY 

2019

CY 

2020

CY 

2021

CY 

2022

CY 

2023

CY 

2024

CY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- 2 4 Number 

of ITOs Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description

Summer EBT is a new program established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) 

that will provide grocery benefits to children from low-income households during the summer months to 

provide continued access to nutrition when school is not in session. As amended, the National School 

Lunch Act allows ITOs that administer WIC to issue benefits which are usable at local grocery stores. This 

KPI is a count of the total number of notices of intent that are submitted by ITOs each year. States,

territories, and tribes have to submit a notice of intent to FNS by January 1 of each year for the upcoming 

summer period. 

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

72

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

To date, FNS has made significant efforts to support ITO participation in Summer EBT including educating 

ITOs about Summer EBT, providing technical assistance through a variety of venues, issuing early 

guidance, holding numerous listening sessions, attending industry conferences, and facilitating sharing 

among ITOs. As part of this, FNS is in the process of developing a protype application and is working with 

external stakeholders who are producing technical assistance materials and/or have funding available to 

support ITO Summer EBT programs. To encourage ITOs that are not already operating the program to 

administer Summer EBT in 2025, FNS will need to continue the activities noted above. FNS may also need 

to facilitate cooperation between States and ITOs, help identify funds to cover ITO administrative 

expenses and identify other resources and strategic partnerships to support ITO implementation. 

Number of Congregate and Non-Congregate Meals Served in Each State’s Peak Summer Month as a 

Percentage of Free and Reduced Price Meals Served During an Average Month During the Preceding

School Year 

CY 

2019

CY 

2020

CY 

2021

CY 

2022

CY 

2023

CY 

2024

CY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 20 % of 

Meals Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- --- N/A N/A

New KPI Description 

This KPI is calculated as the total number of congregate and non-congregate meals served during each 

State’s peak summer month (typically July but sometimes June, depending upon the State) divided by the 

average number of free and reduced price meals served over the preceding October - May. These data 

are reported to FNS by State agencies on forms FNS-418 and FNS-10.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) established a rural non-congregate meal option 

in the Summer Food Service Program and the SSO. FNS will continue to support State and local agency 

implementation of the interim final rule, which was published in FY 2024. As part of this, FNS will provide 

States with technical assistance to capture and increase each State’s peak summer month as a percentage 

of free and reduced-price meals served during an average month during School Year 2024-2025. In FY 

2025, two provisions from the interim final rule will become effective – the requirement for all State 

agencies to contribute site information to the Summer Site Finder, as well as the development and 

publication of a Coordinated Services Plan, whose intent is to coordinate and mutually strengthen the 

statewide availability of services offered through the Summer Meal Programs and the Summer EBT 

Program.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

73

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST – RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS

Number of Firms Associated with Delivery of Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Nutrition 

Incentive or Produce Prescription Program

FY

2019

FY

2020

FY

2021

FY

2022

FY

2023

FY

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction Trend Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- 2,300 Firms Increase

Actual --- --- --- --- 1,959 N/A N/A

New KPI Description 

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. This measure represents the scope of service or the Gus 

Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program by proxy of the number of firms engaged in incentive or program 

delivery. Nutrition Incentive (NI) Projects provide incentives to individuals using SNAP or Nutrition 

Assistance Program (NAP) benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables. Produce Prescription Program (PPR) 

projects provide prescriptions in the form of incentives for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

Data collected in year two of GusNIP NI and PPR indicates fruit and vegetable intake increased for 

participants, the longer they participated in the program. In 2022 the PPR program RFA was separated 

from the NI RFA which allowed greater program management and thus greater impact. Firm partnerships 

are a lagging indicator relative to RFA and award and impact is anticipated to begin being seen in firm 

partnership metrics by 2025. Assuming funding is sustained or increased for the GusNIP program, the 

number of firms is expected to increase, given the many benefits which include reduction of food 

insecurity and the burden of chronic disease, and positive impacts to local economies.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

74

Objective 4.2: Encourage Healthy Dietary Choices through Data-Driven, Flexible, CustomerFocused Approaches

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Published the WIC Food Packages proposed rule on November 21, 2022, and the comment period 

closed on February 21, 2023. USDA received over 15,000 comments and is reviewing/analyzing 

the comments to inform development of the final rule, expected to be published in FY 2024. 

• Published the proposed rule, "Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent 

with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans." FNS reviewed and analyzed 17,000 comments 

received in response to the proposed rule and expects to publish a final rule in FY 2024.

• The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee membership was announced, and three 

committee meetings were held in February, May, and September 2023. FNS worked together with 

a grantee to award nearly $30 million in Healthy Meals Incentives Sub-Grants to 264 small and/or 

rural SFA across 44 states and the District of Columbia.

• FY 2023 marked the tenth year of awards in the Farm to School Grant Program. Since then, FNS 

has awarded more than 1,100 projects totaling more than $84 million and reaching all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam, reaching more than 28 

million students in nearly 63,000 schools.

Challenges

• Because SNAP participation fluctuates based on economic conditions, a rate of eligibles 

participating to total number of eligibles is the most appropriate metric to use. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Food and Nutrition Service

1 1

2 2

Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

3

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

75

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

Annual Average Monthly Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 

Infants, and Children

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 6.3 6.4 6.8 7.0 Million 

Participants Increase

Actual 6.4 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.69 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

FNS invested in modernizing WIC by funding 36 projects aimed at increasing participation and equity in 

WIC. FNS further focused on increasing equity by translating additional materials in languages other than 

English and completed data collection for a breastfeeding study that may inform program and policy

changes. FNS also worked on the WIC Food Packages final rule, which will align the WIC food packages 

with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and is intended to provide WIC State agencies and participants 

with greater flexibility and choice of a wider variety of foods that accommodate participants’ special 

dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, FNS will continue several efforts aimed at increasing participation and retention in WIC. FNS 

previously awarded grants to modernize and create innovative outreach strategies aimed at increasing 

participation and ensuring that WIC meets the needs of participants. FNS will monitor the implementation 

of these efforts and evaluate their impact on key indicators including participation, retention, and the 

redemption of WIC benefits. In addition, FNS will finalize rulemaking to address key regulatory barriers to 

online shopping in the WIC program. FNS will also publish a proposed rule with the aim to modernize food 

delivery and customer service through updated regulatory requirements that consider the changing retail 

marketplace. 

9 This number is based on publicly posted preliminary data; actuals for FY 2023 will be available, at the earliest, in April 

2024. 

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

76

Annual Percentage of Eligible Children Participating in the National School Lunch Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 59 59 59 59 59 59 59

% of 

Eligible 

Children

Increase

Actual 57 43 N/A10 57 57 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

FNS proposed updates to school meal nutrition standards to align them with the latest Dietary 

Guidelines and continued building on the strides made in school nutrition over the past decade. Notably, 

the proposed rule would introduce standards for added sugars for the first time based on 

recommendations in the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as extensive 

feedback from stakeholders. FNS also expanded access to school breakfast and lunch to students at no 

cost in an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high need areas by finalizing a rule to expand the 

availability of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, FNS will continue to encourage school meal participation including promoting CEP elections 

and providing technical assistance to support the final CEP regulation. The intention of this rulemaking is 

to expand access to CEP and provide greater flexibility to states and schools that want to contribute 

additional state and local funds to provide no-cost meals to students. FNS will also provide 

implementation support for the final meal nutrition standards rule through guidance, webinars, and 

toolkits. In addition, FNS will continue to provide support and guidance for the Healthy Meals Incentive 

initiatives. The Healthy Meals Incentives initiative gives local schools the resources to craft meals that are 

both healthy and appetizing to children, raising the bar in school meal quality.

10 FY 2022 actual was 57%, including children receiving lunch through the Seamless Summer Option (which most schools used to 

provide school meals during SY 21-22). No rate is available for FY 2021 as there is not complete data due to waivers in place 

during SY 20-21.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

77

Annual Percentage of Eligible Children Participating in the School Breakfast Program

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 30 31 31 31 31 31% 31%

% of 

Eligible 

Children

Increase

Actual 29.6 24 N/A11 30 29 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

FNS proposed updates to school meal nutrition standards to align them with the latest Dietary 

Guidelines and continued building on the strides made in school nutrition over the past decade. Notably, 

the proposed rule would introduce standards for added sugars for the first time based on 

recommendations in the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as extensive 

feedback from stakeholders. FNS also expanded access to school breakfast and lunch to students at no 

cost in an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high need areas by finalizing a rule to expand the 

availability of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

In FY 2025, FNS will continue to encourage school meal participation including promoting CEP elections 

and providing technical assistance to support the final CEP regulation. The intention of this rulemaking is 

to expand access to CEP and provide greater flexibility to states and schools that want to contribute 

additional state and local funds to provide no-cost meals to students. FNS will also provide 

implementation support for the final meal nutrition standards rule through guidance, webinars, and 

toolkits. In addition, FNS will continue to provide support and guidance for the Healthy Meals Incentive 

initiatives. The Healthy Meals Incentives initiative gives local schools the resources to craft meals that are 

both healthy and appetizing to children, raising the bar in school meal quality.

11 FY 2022 actual was 31%, including children receiving breakfast through the Seamless Summer Option (which most schools used 

to provide school meals during SY 21-22). No rate is available for FY 2021 as there is not complete data due to waivers in place 

during SY 20-21.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

78

Objective 4.3: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Issued a draft Salmonella framework and announced a proposed determination to declare 

Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products if they exceed a certain level 

of Salmonella contamination in the chicken components. 

• Hosted five roundtables and launched a monthly newsletter for small and very small 

establishments to share the latest developments that may impact their operations.

• Began inspection of cell-cultured poultry products, in collaboration with FDA, and proposed new 

regulatory requirements for the voluntary “Product of USA” claim.

• Promoted transparency, innovation, and collaboration through the deployment of an application 

programming interface (API) for recall and public health data, which allows software developers 

to create digital services and apps using FSIS data on recalled meat and poultry products. 

• Continued efforts to revise the current Safe Handling Instructions label through listening sessions 

with stakeholder groups, a literature review, and development of a number of alternative label 

designs to test with focus groups and consumers.

Challenges

• As of the end of FY 2023, there was an increase in samples that tested positive for 

the Salmonella serotypes most commonly associated with human illness. FSIS is in the process of 

proposing regulatory action to help reduce Salmonella in poultry products through the Salmonella

framework.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Food Safety and Inspection Service

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Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

79

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE

Reduction in the Proportion of Poultry Samples with Salmonella Serotypes Commonly Associated with 

Human Illness

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- -2% -4% -6% -8% % of 

Samples Decrease

Actual --- --- --- -3% +22% N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

• FSIS granted pilot projects to several poultry establishments to examine the merits and logistics 

of excluding Salmonella poultry vaccine strains from the FSIS Salmonella performancecategorization calculation. Data collected from the pilot will be shared with and analyzed by FSIS 

to determine whether the findings support changes to existing FSIS Salmonella control 

strategies. 

• To provide scientific support for FSIS’ proposed Salmonella framework, FSIS completed a peerreviewed risk profile to provide information on whether certain serotypes or subtypes of 

Salmonella should be considered as adulterants in specific poultry products within the meaning 

of the PPIA. FSIS also collaborated on peer-reviewed quantitative risk assessments for Salmonella

in chicken and turkey to evaluate the potential benefit of risk- management options for controlling 

Salmonella levels and more virulent serotypes. FSIS, in collaboration with private- sector risk and 

data scientists, applied modern analytics to harness a vast amount of genomic data in predictive 

models to refine the identification of poultry-associated Salmonella serotypes of greatest public 

health significance. The risk profile and risk assessments are expected to be published as part of 

the regulatory proposal in FY 2024.

• FSIS hosted a virtual public meeting on Reducing Salmonella in Poultry in November 2022. The 

attendance at the public meeting reached 748 by web or audio and USDA received 1,034 

comments on the Salmonella framework. 

• FSIS continued to hold meetings with stakeholders and, through a cooperative agreement with 

the University of Maryland, held 15 meetings with industry partners to discuss data sharing for 

FSIS Salmonella risk assessments for chicken and turkey.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

FSIS anticipates publishing the final determination for not-ready-to-eat breaded stuffed chicken products 

in FY 2024. FSIS also expects to publish a proposed new Salmonella framework in FY 2024 and would begin

implementation of the framework in FY 2025.

Goal 4
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

80

Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and 

Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities

Rural America provides the Nation’s food and energy resources, produces the fiber for goods and 

manufacturing, contributes more than 35 percent of the Nation’s military members, and operates about 

80 percent of the Nation’s critical infrastructure lifelines. Unfortunately, it is also where the country’s 

majority of underserved communities and persistently poor families reside and where repeat disaster 

losses and climate change risks occur. It is also home to the country’s fastest aging population and the 

majority of the Nation’s aging infrastructure. USDA is taking bold action to promote rural prosperity and 

economic development by providing technical assistance and financing investments in rural water, 

electric, broadband, housing, community facilities, local and regional food systems, and rural businesses 

and cooperatives. USDA will leverage funds, stimulate private-public partnerships, and collaborate with 

communities to increase economic opportunities in underserved communities and build rural 

infrastructure. This includes working with Federal partners and various stakeholder groups to help rural 

and Tribal communities thrive.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

81

Objective 5.1: Improve Rural and Tribal Community Infrastructure, Including Affordable EConnectivity, Cornerstone Community Facilities, Sustainable and Reliable Power, and Clean 

and Safe Water and Sewer Systems

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• For funding announcements beginning in FY 2022, RD began assigning priority points for 

projects across a variety of programs that advance new and better markets, climate goals, and 

equity priorities. These points help raise the score of qualifying projects and can increase their 

likelihood of receiving funding. This effort helps ensure equitable access to programs and 

benefits from projects for underserved communities. Underserved communities often include a 

limited capacity to apply for and successfully receive federal financing. Based on the analysis 

from FY 2023, RD had the most traction under Advancing Racial Justice, Place-Based Equity, and 

Opportunity. For those programs that awarded priority points for equity, RD invested $2.17 

billion dollars to support socially vulnerable communities. 

Challenges

• The biggest challenge to implementing priority points is the varying regulations for each program.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Rural Development

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Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

82

RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Number of Households with Potential Access to Rural Development-Funded New and/or Improved EConnectivity Services

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 Units

Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 200,000 250,000 125,000 125,000 Households Increase

Actual --- --- --- 134,804 98,811 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

While this KPI did not meet the aspirational FY 2023 target, RD continues to make progress in decreasing 

the digital divide between urban and rural communities by funding projects that will connect over 98,811 

households with broadband access when completed. Most notably, 49,347 of the households that will 

have new or improved broadband are Tribal and/or socially vulnerable communities. This makes up a 

remarkable 50% of funded projects and this success is attributed to dedication of RD staff to conducting 

outreach and technical assistance. Making broadband available in Tribal and rural areas will help create 

jobs, help farmers use precision agriculture technologies, expand access to health care and educational 

services. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

RD has launched a Broadband Technical Assistance Program which will help build a pipeline for econnectivity investments. RD will deploy the technical assistance grants via cooperative agreements to 

support communities of need. RD will continue to collaborate with Commerce's National 

Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on the joint APG to ensure the further 

deployment of BIL funds and annual appropriations. Risks to progress include reduced or limited 

continued appropriations, dependency on partnership with NTIA, and potential staffing need to conduct 

environmental reviews on incoming applications.

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

83

Objective 5.2: Boost the Financial Security of Rural and Tribal Communities through Access to 

Affordable Housing

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Strategic objective 5.2 has been designated as an area making noteworthy progress.

Accomplishments

• Made significant progress implementing the RD Equity Action Plan which provides an opportunity 

to listen to local leaders/residents about their needs and barriers that keep the community from 

participating in RD’s programs. Through this project, RD can connect rural Americans with the 

resources they need. RD identified more than 8,000 rural areas that fit the parameters. 

• Continued to prioritize the access and reduction of barriers to funding for Tribes, Tribal entities, 

and Tribal members. The Annual USDA Tribal Consultation & Listening Session on Equity/Barriers 

addresses Tribal requests, concerns, and actions taken by USDA. 

• While historically the program had not been fully utilized, recent changes including the reduction 

of barriers for applicants and increased outreach to stakeholders have ensured program funds are 

fully used and indeed, applications in the last cycle exceeded annual appropriations and almost 

expended the carryover amount. Given the importance of this program, USDA has implemented 

a significant number of changes to it over the past two years to increase its usage by stakeholders.

Challenges

• With an increase in workload and servicing expectations, RD may be unable to meet customer 

expectations if it does not improve its automated loan and accounting systems and allocate staff 

to meet highest priority needs. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Rural Development

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Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

84

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Number of Underserved, Socially Disadvantaged, and Vulnerable Rural and Tribal Communities 

Engaged in Field-Based Programs

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 460 230 92 92 Communities Increase

Actual --- --- --- 425 191 N/A N/A

Investment in Underserved, Socially Disadvantaged, and Vulnerable Rural and Tribal Communities in 

Field-Based Programs

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 12 60 60 40 Million 

Dollars Increase

Actual --- --- --- 165.8 221.5 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Ensuring that all eligible areas, entities, and residents have equitable access to RD programs and can 

benefit from RD-funded projects is vital to the future economic growth and prosperity of the United 

States. As such, RD is leveraging its extensive field network, data, and strategic investments resources to 

support the Equity Project, recently rebranded as CORE (Creating Opportunities through Rural 

Engagement). While the name changed, the essence, structure, and goals remain the same, as the change 

simply reflects how central equity is to RD activities. Through RD’s network of field offices, RD is actively 

engaging underserved rural and tribal communities in every state to better understand and identify the 

barriers they face to participating in RD programs. In FY 2023, RD was able to engage 191 new CORE 

communities and invest $221.5 million dollars into these communities. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

RD will continue this multiphase strategic engagement project (CORE) designed to connect RD to socially 

vulnerable, distressed and persistent poverty rural and Tribal communities to listen, understand and 

document: community assets, needs and plans barriers to participation in RD; and to determine what type 

of assistance is needed now (capacity building, planning, application or funding) and uses data to identify 

rural areas of focus. 

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

85

Objective 5.3: Increase Capacity, Sustainability, and Economic Vitality in Rural and Tribal 

Communities

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Launched in Spring of 2022, the Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government effort led 

by RD. RD is leading the Rural Partners Network in collaboration with 20 federal agencies and 

regional commissions through the Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White 

House Domestic Policy Council and USDA. The RPN will help selected underserved rural 

communities navigate federal resources that can support their economic development vision and 

priority projects. Federal staff known as Community Liaisons help with this navigation and identify 

barriers to these resources. They can then work with respective federal agencies to address 

program or policy changes for the benefit of all rural communities. RPN Community Networks 

were launched in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North 

Carolina, Puerto Rico, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Challenges

• RD needs additional staff to fully support the implementation of RPN. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Rural Development

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Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

86

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Percentage of Rural Development Assistance Directed to Distressed Communities12

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 12 13 14 25 30 30 30 % of 

Assistance Increase

Actual 11 12.5 12.3 21 24 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

Even though RD did not meet the performance target, it had the largest percentage of investments go to 

Distressed Communities since implementing this key performance indicator in FY 2019. The target set for 

FY 2023 was ten percentage points higher than the 5-year baseline for investments in Distressed 

Communities. The target was purposefully aspirational. RD will continue to target investment in 

Distressed Communities with the goal of increasing the percentage of funding invested in these 

communities. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

RD’s continued focus on investing in Distressed Communities directly supports one of the key priorities 

under this administration: 

Assist rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities 

and through improved infrastructure. 

RD is seeking changes in the Farm Bill that would provide RD flexibility to offer technical assistance that 

matches customer need and support strategic engagement.

Percentage of Rural Development Commercial and Infrastructure Investments that Leverage NonFederal Funding in Distressed (DC) and Socially Vulnerable (SV) Communities

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 70 75 % of 

Investments Increase

Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

This measure is being revised for FY 2024 to include “Distressed (DC) and Socially Vulnerable (SV) 

Communities”. 

12 Measured at the zip code level.

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

87

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

RD is placing an emphasis on staff to seek out funding partners who can make projects more affordable 

through the blending of RD funds with other state, local or philanthropic funding.

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

88

Objective 5.4: Promote Environmental Justice by Maximizing Sustainable and Green 

Economic Development in Rural and Tribal Communities

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Built a climate adaptation tool that can assess the impact of weather-related disasters on RD’s 

investments. The tool is expected to increase decision-makers’ awareness of the relative 

sensitivity of rural communities to the projected economic impact of weather-related disasters. 

• Worked with Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Housing and Urban 

Development to conduct an analysis of past, current, and projected weather risk to housing 

portfolios. Climate risks from hurricanes, tornados, and riverine and coastal flooding do not 

present a major financial risk to housing portfolios; however, the human costs of these disasters 

are substantial and often disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities. 

• Announced $37 million in investments to improve recreation infrastructure located on national 

forests and grasslands, which includes $19 million for recreation sites and $18 million for cabins 

and historic buildings. USDA is finalizing a list of approved projects. The projects are expected to 

be implemented within five years and will improve visitor satisfaction on recreation sites.

Challenges

• Outdoor recreation on National Forest System lands and sites have become more popular, with 

visitation to national forests and grasslands peaking at 168 million visits nationally in 2020. This 

increase has created challenges and opportunities in meeting new demands while ensuring the 

safety of visitors and the health of the environment. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Rural Development

• Forest Service

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Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

89

RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Percentage of Total Investments Made into Energy Communities, as defined by the Inflation Reduction 

Act, through Rural Development Programs

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 19 20 % of 

Investments Increase

Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

These investments are further prioritized by IRA, which includes a provision that directs additional 

financial incentives for clean energy projects developed in “energy communities,” which could provide 

economic benefits to regions that face challenges associated with the energy transition. The IRA defines 

energy communities as: 

a) A “brownfield site” (as defined in certain subparagraphs of the Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA))

b) A “metropolitan statistical area” or “non-metropolitan statistical area” that has (or had at any 

time after 2009) 0.17% or greater direct employment or 25% or greater local tax revenues related 

to the extraction, processing, transport, or storage of coal, oil, or natural gas; and has an 

unemployment rate at or above the national average unemployment rate for the previous year

c) A census tract (or directly adjoining census tract) in which a coal mine has closed after 1999; or in 

which a coal-fired electric generating unit has been retired after 2009

FOREST SERVICE 

Percentage of Customers Satisfied with Recreation Facilities, Services, and Settings in National Forests

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 95 95 95 95 98 98 95

% of 

Customers 

Satisfied

Maintain 

Actual 95 95 95 96 TBD13 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

This program provides recreational access to over 193 million acres on National Forest System lands 

containing more than 31,000 campgrounds, picnic areas, trailheads, and day-use areas; 220,000 miles of 

fishable streams; almost 160,000 miles of trail opportunities, 33,000 special use permits, and 122 ski 

areas. Over the past three years, outdoor recreation on National Forest System lands and sites have 

13 Data collection for FY 2023 is still on-going and visitor satisfaction levels will be available in spring 2024.

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

90

become more popular, with visitation to national forests and grasslands peaking at 168 million visits 

nationally in 2020. Prior to the pandemic, national forest recreation visitor use ranged from around 145 

to 150 million, with increases of around 1 to 2 percent a year. As noted above, visitation to national forests

increased dramatically in the last half of FY 2020 and the first half of FY 2021, resulting in record high 

visitation. In FY 2022, customer satisfaction levels amongst recreation users remained high, continuing 

the trend over the past several years. Data collected indicated that, for activity choices, the trend toward 

increased participation in hiking and walking continued. Approximately 50 percent of national forest 

visitors participated in hiking and walking in FY 2022, with around 29 percent indicating it was their 

primary activity while visiting the national forest. Combined with increases in the total number of visits, 

this indicates increased pressure on the trails system. Over 3 million more visits with hiking/walking as 

the primary activity occurred in FY 2022 compared to just a year ago. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

Continued investment in addressing deferred maintenance needs and additional investments in areas to 

accommodate high visitor use will support high levels of visitor satisfaction. In addition, investments 

made in customer service through such platforms as Recreation.gov will make Forest Service facilities 

easier to find and facilitate trip planning to match recreation user and visitor needs to appropriate 

resources. High levels of visitor satisfaction will likely continue, thanks to the recent hiring of new staff to 

support recreational programs, investments in deferred maintenance, and continued public interest in 

outdoor recreation. The targets for FY 2023 and FY 2024 were erroneously set at 98 percent, which was 

likely never achievable at the current financial resource levels. Therefore, the FY 2025 target has been 

adjusted back to a historically achievable level.

Goal 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Goal 6: Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated 

Workforce that's Proud to Represent USDA

USDA is committed to reaching new heights by recruiting, onboarding, supporting, and retaining a diverse 

and talented workforce and cultivating a workplace environment that is collaborative, service-oriented, 

mission-centered, healthy, inclusive, and welcoming. This includes leaders and staff who work together 

to build a culture that welcomes, respects, and supports everyone in reaching their highest potential by 

ensuring equal opportunity compliance, providing proactive civil rights, and championing USDA’s zerotolerance policy for unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment for all employees. USDA believes this 

focus on organizational culture will enable it to build the USDA back better as a premier organization and 

model employer that lives by its values. 

As the landscape of talent continues to evolve, it is imperative that USDA seek to continuously find ways 

to attract talent that represents the diversity of America. The COVID-19 pandemic has also catapulted 

leaders to rethink and reimagine where and how the Department works. In the coming years, USDA will 

build on best practices for a hybrid work environment and continue to evaluate the future of work at 

USDA. As such, the Department is committed to being a learning organization that tolerates risk-taking,

explores the untested and unknown, and nurtures innovative ideas at all levels of the organization. USDA

will prioritize learning and training throughout the employee experience.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 6.1: Foster a Culture of Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, 

Transparency, and Accountability

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Accomplishments

• Appointed USDA’s first permanent Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) who is leading 

USDA in its ongoing efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across 

the Department and will oversee the implementation of USDA’s first-ever DEIA Strategic Plan.

• Stood up the new Office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. 

Challenges

• USDA needs to increase efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce.

• Identifying meaningful learning opportunities for leadership and employees to understand and 

advance DEIA in their respective organizations. 

• Increasing persons with disabilities, military spouses, and National Service hires. 

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Office of Human Resource Management

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Goal 6
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

93

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Period of Time (Days) Between Request Hiring Validation Date (SF-52 Approved Date) and New Hire 

Actual Start Date (Entry on Duty Date) (Percentage hired within 80 days)

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 60 60 60 60

% Hired 

Within 80 

Days

Increase

Actual --- --- 22 2614 26 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

USDA is a critical part of hiring surge initiatives to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with 

1,777 positions targeted to be filled in FY 2023. USDA expects to reach that target and currently is 

achieving a time to hire metric of 73 days for BIL positions. Leading practices are being identified from this 

initiative and reviewed for use across the Department. Communities of practice have also been 

established for employment and for pay and leave practitioners, as well as for student program managers, 

to disseminate guidance and promote sharing of leading practices across the Department.

Through the agency hiring goals initiative, USDA mission areas and staff offices identified annual hiring 

goals. The input was used to create dashboards enabling them to track progress and make adjustments 

in real time to reflect changes in budgets and priorities. To assist managers and HR practitioners in the 

recruitment and hiring process, OHRM developed and shared guidance on hiring flexibilities, authorities 

to bring on student and early career talent, use of direct hire authorities, details and promotions, and pay 

and leave flexibilities. Another resource is the Hiring Managers Guide which takes managers through the 

employment life cycle including workforce planning and pre-recruitment, recruitment and outreach, 

interviewing, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding. This guide is part of a toolkit for 

front line managers and human resources staff to build their own recruitment and hiring strategies. OHRM 

and DA are leading on a department-wide campaign that will encourage non-HR staff to take an active 

role in recruitment and retention.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

USDA will continue to redefine its approach to outreach to increase awareness of USDA openings and 

career opportunities. In addition to institutions of higher education, affinity groups, and professional 

organizations and associations, USDA will reach out actively to occupational fields that are experiencing 

economic impacts such as layoffs, especially in rural America. USDA will also look for opportunities to 

increase awareness and use of non-competitive hiring authorities for people with disabilities, veterans, 

military spouses, former Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, post-secondary students, and college 

graduates. OHRM, mission areas and staff offices will partner to maximize opportunities for agencies to 

share hiring certificates, utilize certificates from cross-government hiring actions, and take part in 

recruitment events. USDA will continue to look for ways to improve the hiring process including identifying 

14The FY 2022 actual was changed from 33% to 26% due to an update in the dashboard calculations that contribute 

to the methodology of the time-to-hire KPI.

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

94

tasks which can be performed concurrently vice in a linear process and explore the use of artificial 

intelligence to automate aspects of the hiring process.

USDA will continue to explore ways that technology can streamline processes, increase applicant and 

employee experience, and leverage resources to maximize efficiency.

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 6.2: Establish a Customer-Centric, Inclusive, High-Performing Workforce that is 

Representative of America and the Communities We Serve

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Strategic objective 6.2 has been designated as a focus area for improvement. 

Accomplishments

• Implemented E.O. 14058 to improve Federal Customer Experience by publishing a simplified 

Direct Loan Application, reducing the average customer completion time by half.

• Launched the Loan Assistance Tool to assist customers in navigating the types of real estate and 

operating Direct Loans suitable to their needs and conducting an eligibility self-assessment.

• Implemented the Application Fast Track pilot to reduce Direct Loan application processing times 

by expediting the underwriting assessment of some borrowers in 166 local offices.

• Sent a quarterly survey to 1,250 Direct Loan applicants (total 5,000 applicants) to track customer 

satisfaction with front-line service and loan application processing; developed a dashboard to 

track survey metrics.

Challenges

• Improvements are needed in developing additional organizational health and performance 

measures.

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Office of the Chief Scientist – Research, Education, and Economics

• Farm Service Agency

• Rural Development

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Goal 6
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST – RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS

Number of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-Supported Undergraduate, Graduate Students, 

and Post-Doctoral Fellows 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- 1,423 2,495 3,831 4,222 4,392 N/A Students Increase

Actual --- 1,167 4,462 5,026 7,811 N/A N/A

This KPI is being retired in FY 2025. 

Targets for FY 2023 and FY 2024 have been previously communicated as 5,659 and 5,951 respectively (in 

FY 2024 explanatory notes (1) https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/22-2024-NIFA.pdf

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023 the number of students reported by awardees supported by AFRI funds reached 7,811 

demonstrating a 38% above target and 55% increase from actuals in FY 2022. This figure reflects 

undergraduate, graduate students, and post-doctorate fellows. These figures do not reflect degree 

attainment. 

FARM SERVICE AGENCY 

Average Number of Days to Process Direct Loans 

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 30 32 32 34 34 33 33 Days Decrease

Actual 32 34 36 31 31 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023

The decline in FY 2022-FY 2023 is an improvement over recent years but this is not attributable to an 

increase in productivity. Instead, it reflects a: 

• Cyclical reduction in loan application demand. 

• Decline in demand for loan servicing, driven by moratoriums on accelerations and foreclosures 

and IRA Section 22006 payments resolving most delinquencies.

Productivity gains are expected when the pilot for Application Fast Track pilot (i.e., streamlining the 

underwriting review for some direct loan customers) conducted in July-December 2023 expands from 166 

pilot sites to nationwide use in January 2024. Additional business process and automation improvements 

are also in development or planned for rollout in 2024.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

Farm Loans is conducting business process improvement assessments throughout the loan lifecycle for 

both direct and guaranteed loan programs. The tools that it has already launched (i.e., educational Loan 

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

97

Assistance Tool, Online Direct Loan Application) are being developed using a modular approach so that 

each can expanded in 2024-2025 to include other parts of the loan lifecycle. Two examples:

• The Loan Assistance Tool currently provides a step-by-step guide for Direct Loans but is being 

expanded to do the same for Guaranteed Loans that will be used by lenders and customers.

• The Online Direct Loan Application will be expanded to accept Direct Loan Servicing Applications 

(e.g., requests to restructure a loan, defer a loan payment) and lenders’ guarantee applications 

under the Guaranteed Loan Program. 

In addition to the two customer-facing examples listed above to enhance the customer experience of 

external users, improvements to back-office operations are a high priority for the morale, efficiency and 

effectiveness, and hiring and retention of employees. Streamlining and automating business processes 

will significantly reduce employees’ time spent on paper-based manual processes so their time is spent 

on value-added activities such as customer service. Enhancing internal controls and data analytics 

capabilities will be incorporated at the same time. The most prominent of these efforts is to replace the 

Program Loan Accounting System’s accounting and subsidiary general ledger features, which may be 

challenging due to the other priorities of the financial subject matter experts.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Percentage of OneRD Customers Whose Application Processing Time Does Not Exceed 30 Days15

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 45 55 65 55

% 

Applications 

Processed 

in < 30 Days

Increase

Actual --- --- --- 38 35 N/A N/A

Percentage of OneRD Program Customer (Lender) Satisfaction Survey Ratings of 4 or Above

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025 Units Preferred Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- 60 65 70 65

% Survey 

SatisfactionIncrease

Actual --- --- --- 47 46 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

America’s rural leaders in building prosperity. Through a series of regulatory reforms, USDA eliminated 

duplicative processes and launched a single platform for the Agency’s four key loan guarantee programs. 

These programs are:

15 Receipt to Conditional Commitment.

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

98

• Water and Waste Disposal Guaranteed Loan Program

• Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program,

• Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, 

• Rural Energy for America Guaranteed Loan Program.

Customer input has been a core component of the development of the rules, processes, and procedures 

under OneRD. Customer engagement continues on a regular basis with regularly scheduled Lender Office 

Hours and quarterly Lender Feedback Forums. While RD did not meet its key performance targets for 

OneRD loan processing or Lender satisfaction, staff remain committed to the streamlined delivery of the 

commercial guarantees despite the barriers experienced in demand for funds, lack of staffing and IT 

systems to support the programs.

Plans for Progress in FY 2025

RD's progress in improving both processing and customer satisfaction are impeded by both IT and staffing 

constraints. OneRD has not received funding for an application in-take system for lenders. RD lacks the 

staff to meet customer expectations. One issue raised by customers is the time it takes for RD to complete 

environmental reviews.

Goal 6
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Objective 6.3: Promote USDA Operational Excellence Through Better Use of Technology and 

Shared Solutions

Overview of Performance

Performance toward target throughout the Department’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

Strategic objective 6.3 has been designated as a focus area for improvement.

Accomplishments

• Made progress in strengthening USDA’s data program and use of dashboards.

• The CDO is championing the development of a new 3-year USDA Data Strategy for FY 2024-FY 

2026, which was developed with all Mission Area involvement. 

Challenges

• USDA data leadership is key to address opportunities and challenges on:

o Leveraging governance to manage data as a strategic asset

o Recruitment and retention of the data workforce

o Cost-effective data and analytics modernization

o Leveraging data for internal and external stakeholder decision making

o Ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Contributing Agencies and Offices

• Office of Property and Environmental Management

• Office of the Chief Scientist — Research, Education, and Economics

1 1 Future

Report

Future

Report

Future

Report

0

1

2

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026

Number of KPIs

Met Needs Improvement Unmet Unavailable Future Report

Goal 6
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

100

OFFICE OF PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 

Reduction in the Department’s Overall Real Property Footprint through Effective Disposal and 

Consolidation Efforts

FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target 31.5 31.2 31.1 31.0 30.8 30.0 29.6

Million 

Square 

Feet

Decrease

Actual 31.3 31.2 31.1 31.0 TBD16 N/A N/A

Progress Made in FY 2023 

In FY 2023, USDA reduced its footprint by over 784,505 SF, resulting in $15.7 million in cost avoidance 

annually. To begin the initiative, DA first identified 10 top priority cities where USDA has a large footprint. 

Importantly, this first focus was on office buildings with “backroom” type functions rather than customerfacing or program operational facilities. Collectively these ten priority cities had nearly 3.6 million SF of 

leased space. UDSA targeted a 744,000 SF reduction, or just over 20 percent. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

USDA plans to continue to right-size its real property portfolio in alignment with government-wide return 

to the physical workplace needs and telework/remote work policy. USDA’s real property asset 

management efforts and related goals are significantly influenced by its desire to achieve an efficient real

property portfolio. USDA balances many priorities in its real property management process. The 

Department seeks to maintain an efficient portfolio in support of USDA’s strategic goals and its desire to 

have a modern work environment. USDA’s vision for the workplace is one that enables effective mission 

achievement and quality employee experience that promotes flexibility, sustainability, and safety. The 

overall goal of space management and utilization is to create a modern workplace, retain and recruit 

workers, cut costs, and deliver programs and services.

Pre-pandemic and current occupancy data affirm underutilization of assets across the portfolio. USDA’s 

priority is to reduce rental payments to facilitate investments in modernization. USDA is working closely 

with the General Service Administration (GSA) to prioritize space optimization in major metropolitan areas 

where USDA has a large footprint of predominantly office space. 

16 Square footage reductions are realized 3-5 years upon lease termination/release. Federal Real Property Profile 

data for FY 2023 will be available Mid-February 2024.

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST – RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS 

Error Free Reporting (NASS) 

 FY 

2019

FY 

2020

FY 

2021

FY 

2022

FY 

2023

FY 

2024

FY 

2025

Units Preferred 

Direction

Trend 

Data

Target --- --- --- --- --- --- >95 % reports Retain 

Actual --- --- --- --- --- --- N/A 

New KPI Description 

This KPI is being introduced in FY 2025. The KPI measures the percentage of reports released without 

errors. This measure represents the accessibility, relevance, coherence, comparability, and usefulness of 

NASS official reports and products and services as measured by NASS issuing errata for Agricultural 

Statistical Board reports. 

NASS data are ingredients for a host of products, services, decisions, and outcomes. Delivering accurate 

data makes it possible for: farmers and ranchers to use NASS data to make better business decisions or 

use ag-based products and services that rely on such data; allows researchers to answer challenging 

questions on crop management, chemical pesticides, land usage, and veterinary science; other USDA 

agencies to make solid market assessments; and for policymakers to use the facts and statistics provided 

in NASS reports to make well-informed policy decisions and create budgets that will serve and benefit 

their agriculture constituents. This KPI is one way NASS demonstrates a commitment to its mission to 

deliver timely, accurate, useful statistics in service to US agriculture. 

Plans for Progress in FY 2025 

NASS will continue to make use of a variety of review and validation methods to ensure the reports 

produced are accurate. In addition to utilizing database queries and various software applications to 

validate and check the accuracy of data values in a report, NASS employs a multilevel review process from 

data collection to publication to actively monitor and review data for completeness and accuracy. NASS is 

committed to producing and disseminating complete and accurate information about agriculture. 

Goal 6 
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

AMS Agricultural Marketing Service

APG Agency Priority Goal

APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

ARP American Rescue Plan

ARS Agricultural Research Service

ASF African Swine Fever

BIL Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

CEP Community Eligibility Provision

CEQ Council on Environmental Quality

CJEST Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

CNP Child Nutrition Program

CNPP Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

CSP Conservation Stewardship Program

CTA Conservation Technical Assistance

DEIA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

DGA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

EBT Electronic Benefits Transfer

EQIP Environmental Quality Incentives Program

ERS Economic Research Service

FAS Foreign Agricultural Service

FDPIR Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

FNS Food and Nutrition Service

FS Forest Service

FLP Farm Loan Program

FSA Farm Service Agency

FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service

FY Fiscal Year

GPRAMA GPRA Modernization Act of 2010

HPAI Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

IP Intellectual Property

IRA Inflation Reduction Act

ITO Indian Tribal Organization

KPI Key Performance Indicator

NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service

NIFA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service

OBPA Office of Budget and Program Analysis

OCE Office of Chief Economist

OCS Office of Chief Scientist

OCX Office of Customer Experience

RECP Rural Energy Community Partnerships

RMA Risk Management Agency

SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

SAS Sustainable Agricultural Systems

TFP Thrifty Food Plan
U.S. Department of Agriculture – FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan

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TRQ Tariff Rate Quota

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USTR U.S. Trade Representative

WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children