Introduction to the New NRCS Soil Health Division.

Widespread adoption of soil health management systems has the potential to result in continental-scale, systemic improvements in environmental factors, farm resilience and productivity, as well as profitability.  Concentrated efforts to improve soil health will thus provide significant return on the nation’s conservation investment. The new NRCS Soil Health Division was initiated to leverage resources, skills, technology, and partnerships nationally to facilitate increased implementation of science-based, effective, broad-acreage soil health management systems on the nation’s diverse agricultural lands. NRCS educational, technical, and financial assistance programs will be expanded and adjusted to implement key functions of the new Soil Health Division. These functions will include efforts to provide advanced soil health technical training and education to key stakeholders, to standardize and increase the use of publicly available soil health testing that leads to result-informed soil health management recommendations, to guide soil health management planning and implementation, and to monitor and adapt services for sustained, long-term adoption. Planned Soil Health Division activities and potential opportunities for collaboration will be discussed.