The appropriation "Conservation Operations," funds seven Soil Conservation Service activities authorized by the Act of April 27, 1935, (16 U.S. C. 590a-590f); the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, (16 U.S.C. 2001-2009); Section 35 of the Rural Clean Water Act of 1977, (33 U.S.C. 1251, 128i). These activities are designed to reduce erosion, solve soil and water management problems, bring about physical adjustments in land use, improve agriculture, and reduce damage caused by floods and sedimentation. Activities include:

1.

2.

3.

Technical assistance - The Soil Conservation Service provides technical assistance to 2,925 conservation districts. These districts, formed under State enabling legislation and locally controlled, have within their boundaries about 99 percent of the farms and ranches in the Nation. Through these conservation districts, the Soil Conservation Service provides technical help to more than 2,100,000 district cooperators, who are primarily farmers and ranchers, having land use and conservation problems.

More than 800,000 district cooperators receive help on an annual basis.
About 26,000 State and local units of government were assisted with problems
of land use, conservation, or building and water resource developments during
FY 1980.

Conservation plans developed by land users consist of their decisions to
achieve conservation objectives, and contain soil and capability maps and
other basic resource data interpreted for alternative uses and treatment.

Installation services are provided to cooperating land users to help them
apply planned conservation systems. These services include site investigation,
designs and specifications, construction plans, and layout of practices.
Technical services are provided to individuals and groups participating in
the Agricultural Conservation Program for site selection, layout, or
establishment of specified conservation practices.

Inventory and monitoring - The inventory and monitoring program provides for
collecting and interpreting natural and related resource data, other than
soil survey data, for national assessments, and providing the results to
users for resource programing and planning decisions. In addition, special
resource inventories are made of wind erosion conditions in the Great Plains,
and for identification of prime and unique farmlands.

Soil surveys Special investigations and interpretations are made to determine
the kinds of soil, potential alternative uses, and their needs for full use
and conservation. Each soil survey includes field mapping and necessary

4.

5.

6.

7.

correlation, interpretation, investigations, and laboratory work. These surveys are conducted cooperatively with other Federal agencies, land grant colleges, other State agencies, and local organizations. The published soil survey for a county or designated area includes maps with explanatory information useful in many Federal, State, county, and local community programs. Special reports are prepared and released as needed for local uses.

Snow survey and water forecasting Snow survey and water forecasting provides a valuable service to irrigators and others who rely upon snow data and water supply forecasts in planning annual operations. More than 10,000,000 acres of irrigated land in the Western States and Alaska are served by water supply forecasts. Although water supply forecasts are geared primarily to the needs of rural farm and ranch operators, they are also helpful to a wide variety of water management groups that have responsibility for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife, power generation, municipal and industrial water supply, and water quality management.

Operation of plant materials centers

Plant materials centers are operated for testing, selection, and providing for the commercial production of plants for erosion control, special conservation purposes, and adaptation to unusual soil and site conditions. The work at the 20 centers includes cooperation with State and Federal agencies, commercial businesses, and seed and nursery associations to encourage production, release, and use of new or uncommon plant materials needed in soil and water conservation programs. Over 140 new conservation plant varieties from this program are in large scale use in combating the many problems encountered in a total program of soil, water, and related resource conservation. An average of seven new conservation plants have been released each year for conservation purposes.

Resource appraisal and program development - Activities carried out under this program include a nationwide soil, water, and related resource appraisal and development of future long-range conservation programs which will help USDA, soil and water conservation districts and other Federal, State, and local agencies make the necessary shift towards the highest priority policy issues and identify the present and likely future demands on the soil, water, and related resources of the Nation.

Rural clean water - Rural clean water activities consist of program formulation and implementation, technical training and workshops in FY 1980 funded from unobligated balances from the FY 1978 supplemental appropriation.

(1)

Improvements are Needed in USDA's Soil and Water
Resources Conservation Act Report.

JUSTIFICATION OF INCREASES AND DECREASES

An increase of $2,011,000 in technical assistance consisting of:

(a) An increase of $1,046,000 for pay costs.

(b) An increase of $3,765,000 for increased operating costs. The increased
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
as in FY 1981. They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary

support costs financed under this program. Without these additional funds, program performance would be adversely impacted. For this program, it is estimated that about 600,000 acres of land would not be adequately protected by installation of conservation practices designed to maintain the productive capability of the soil if this increase is not provided. (c) An increase of $500,000 to restore the non-recurring FY 1981 congressional decrease related to employment lapse savings generated by the FY 1980-81 hiring limitation.

(d) A decrease of $3,300,000 in technical assistance program activities.

Need for Change. The pressing need to reduce Federal expenditures in
working toward a balanced budget to lessen inflationary pressures
necessitates a reduced level of spending in this program in order to
provide for other high priority work.

Nature of Change. Direct technical assistance to the Nation's

conservation district cooperators would be reduced by about 137 staffyears or approximately 2 percent below the 1981 level.

(2) An increase of $699,000 for inventory and monitoring consisting of:

(3)

(a) An increase of $19,000 for pay costs.

(b)

An increase of $380,000 for increased operating costs. The increased
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
as in FY 1981. They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary
support costs financed under this program. Without these additional
funds, program performance would be adversely impacted. For this program,

it is estimated that a sufficient number of data points could not be
inventoried in 1982 to ensure completion of the ongoing multi-resource
inventory in time for use in the 1985 Resources Conservation Act appraisal
if this increase is not provided.

(c) An increase of $300,000 to restore the non-recurring FY 1981 congressional decrease related to employment lapse savings generated by the FY 1980-81 hiring limitation.

An increase of $1,068,000 for soil surveys consisting of:

(a) An increase of $61,000 for pay costs.

(b) An increase of $1,007,000 for increased operating costs. The increased
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
as in FY 1981. They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary
support costs financed under this program. Without these additional
funds, program performance would be adversely impacted.
For this program,

it is estimated that 5 million fewer acres would be mapped than currently
planned if this increase is not provided.

(4) An increase of $82,000 for snow surveys and water forecasting consisting of:

(5)

(a) An increase of $2,000 for pay costs.

(b) An increase of $80,000 for increased operating costs. The increased
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
as in FY 1981. They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary
support costs financed under this program. Without these additional
funds, program performance would be adversely impacted. For this program,
five of the ten automated SNOTEL sites scheduled for installation in
1982 would be deferred if this increase is not provided. This, in turn,
would reduce the availability and timeliness of data provided to water
supply forecast user groups.

An increase of $459,000 for operation of plant materials centers consisting of:

(6)

The increased

(b) An increase of $54,000 for increased operating costs.
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary
Without these additional
as in FY 1981.
support costs financed under this program.

funds, program performance would be adversely impacted. For this program,
it is estimated that ongoing plant studies would be reduced and fewer
plant varieties would be released for commercial production if this
increase is not provided.

(c) An increase of $400,000 for replacement of equipment and maintenance of
facilities at plant materials centers.

Need for Change.

For the past several years, funding constraints have
necessitated the continued deferral of all but the most critical needs
As a result, a
for maintenance of facilities and equipment in order to maintain a level
technical program effort at the plant materials centers.
backlog of replacement and maintenance needs has accumulated beyond the
point of efficient management. More importantly, obsolete equipment and
inadequately maintained facilities create health and safety hazards.
Environmental and safety regulations have mandated certain additions to
current facilities such as adequate and safe pesticide storage and
disposal facilities, emergency showers, eye wash apparatus, and dust
In addition, some of the equipment is so
control in working areas.
obsolete that breakdowns occur frequently and excessive "down" time
waiting for repairs and hard-to-obtain replacement parts directly reduces
efficiency of operations.

The funds requested would allow the initiation of a
Nature of Change.
planned maintenance program to address the more than $1.7 million worth
of identified needs at the plant materials centers including:

Health and safety items including adequate pesticides handling
facilities, dust control in seed processing areas, and other safety
equipment;

Energy conservation measures including replacement, repair, and/or
retrofitting of obsolete high energy requiring heating and cooling
equipment, and installation of solar seed drying equipment;

Replacement of inefficient and obsolete equipment such as combines, tractors, tillage equipment, planters, seed cleaning and processing equipment, and irrigation equipment; and

Maintenance of buildings including constructiur of adequate storage facilities to provide improved protection of equipment and improvements to existing storage buildings and greenhouses.

These additional funds would provide for some of these items and thus
prevent further deterioration of the more than $12 million worth of
structures and equipment that is currently invested in this program in
terms of replacement value.

An increase of $192,000 for resource appraisal and program development
consisting of:

(a)

An increase of $4,000 for pay costs.

(b)

The increased

An increase of $188,000 for increased operating costs.
funds are needed in order to maintain the same level of program effort
They would be used to cover cost increases for non-salary
Without these additional
as in FY 1981.
support costs financed under this program.

funds, program performance would be adversely impacted. For this program,
it is estimated that efforts to improve analytical capabilities and
develop an integrated data base needed to be fully responsive to the
Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act would be impeded if this
increase is not granted.

STATUS OF PROGRAM

The Soil Conservation Service, a technical agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, was established by and is to carry out provisions of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, Public Law 74-46, April 27, 1935. Activity under this appropriation consists of furnishing technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and others through 2,925 conservation districts under the terms of memoranda of understanding between districts and USDA. Local districts are units of government formed under authority of State law. Local people plan, direct, and participate in the conservation programs of the districts.

Cooperation with Soil and Water Conservation Districts: Officials of conservation districts are local leaders in the development and operation of appropriate land use and conservation treatment programs on private and other lands within the districts. They solicit local, State and Federal participation in locally-adapted programs that conserve and improve land and water resources. Over the years they have developed cooperative ways of financing conservation programs which provide numerous public and private benefits. Non-federal contributions of funds and services to Soil and Water Conservation Districts Programs were approximately 250 million dollars for FY 1980.

Status of District Oranization by kinds of districts, cumulative to September 30, 1980 is as follows:

Cooperation with other Agencies: Many Federal and State agencies rely upon the technical expertise unique to the Soil Conservation Service to plan and implement programs which impact rural residents and/or resources. Some examples are the Coastal Zone Management Program of the Department of Commerce, the Nonpoint Source Pollution Program of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Agricultural Conservation Program and the Experimental Rural Clean Water Program of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and the Surface Mining and Reclamation Program of the Department of Interior. SCS also cooperates with the Agency for International Development (AID) by providing technical assistance to foreign countries and training of foreign agriculturists in the application and use of soil and water conservation practices. Technical assistance is now provided to 14 foreign countries and training is given to about 160 foreign trainees onsite in the United States.

In addition, SCS has leadership in a special project to update soil surveys and resource reports and adapt Soil Taxonomy toward classification of tropical soils in several developing countries. We are now assisting Sudan and Senegal in the planning and evaluation of soil survey programs.