The Restructure and Reorganization of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Science Division.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Science Division, has undergone a restructuring process to meet the goals of the Secretary of Agriculture’s ‘Blueprint for Stronger Services’.  This restructuring resulted in the closing of 6 MLRA Regional Offices and18 Soil Survey Project Offices.  The Soil Survey responsibilities for the closed offices were transferred, in most cases, to adjoining offices.  Administrative decisions were made for placement of all employees in these affected offices that considered what was best for the affected employees and the overall program.  The Division is also undergoing a reorganization that fully implements the MLRA regional organization of the Soil Survey Program.  This reorganization centralizes the technical and administrative leadership of the program into a ‘direct line of sight’ from the Division Director through the Associate Director for Soil Survey Operations to the twelve Regional Directors to the Soil Survey Project Offices.  This structure offers a more efficient means of managing the Soil Survey Program to more agile in response to changing priorities and budgets, institution of technological advancements and to insure that data development follows geographical and geomorphic boundaries.  Under this reorganization, the State Soil Scientist responsibilities have been focused on strengthening the partnership and the soil interpretation program within each state, insuring that soils information is properly used in Farm Bill programs, leading the Technical Soil Services program and working with any special projects developed within the state.