Our Partnership with NRCS

For the last 80 years the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (and formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service), has been assisting farmers, ranchers and private landowners in the research and application of scientifically sound conservation practices where it counts the most – ‘on the ground’.

NRCS: Who We Are

NRCS works in partnership with the Nevada County Resource Conservation District (NCRCD).

NRCS employs a diverse staff of technical personnel such as soil scientists, foresters, engineers, biologists, and hydrologists to provide the expertise to solve simple as well as complex environmental problems, with the primary focus of conservation on private lands.  Click here to watch “The Story of America’s Private Lands Conservation Movement“.

NRCS has a unique cost-share program, known as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. EQIP provides financial incentives to farmers, ranchers and timberland owners that apply approved conservation practices on their properties. NRCS helps to defray the costs by 50-75%. Typical practices in Nevada County include forest thinning and pruning, conversion of brush fields to timber land or range and pasture, irrigation system efficiency improvements, improving livestock distribution through fencing, and wildlife habitat. Since 1997 NRCS has distributed $4.6 million to landowners in Nevada County.

How to Contact NRCS:

We are located at 113 Presley Way, Suite 1 in Grass Valley. Office hours are 7:30 – 4:00.

• Pamela Hertzler, District Conservationist (530) 798-5527
• Evan Smith, Forester (530) 798-5532
• Kristen Perano, Engineer  (530) 798-5538
• Peggy Holbrook, Farm Bill Assistant (530) 798-5533
• Maddison Easley, PBCS Partner Biologist (530) 798-5528

For a glimpse into the assistance avaliable, check out the NRCS YouTube Channel