Citizens, community members, landowners — do you have local natural resource concerns? Do you want to share your ideas, voice your opinions, or ask questions about how your local conservation programs are addressing these issues? Your local offices of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) want to hear from you!

Once a year, prior to the upcoming USDA fiscal year, NRCS and SWCD offices hold public Local Working Group meetings. These open meetings encourage citizen input on how they should prioritize local resource concerns. Want to see more assistance available for soil health practices? Concerned about the quality of water or air in your community? Help determine what your local conservation programs prioritize by sharing your story.

The Local Working Groups recommend to the NRCS State Conservationist how conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), or Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) could be used most effectively in their area. These recommendations can include special target areas, cost share rates on conservation programs, which conservation practices should have cost assistance, or how many dollars would be needed.

“The most important attendees would be the farmers/producers/residents in our county and region as that is who this would be impacting,” says Rhyan Schicker, district manager of the Lac qui Parle County SWCD.