Pictured: One of the first Conservation Districts is formed after the creation of the Soil Conservation Service. Photo by USDA
On 27 April 2025, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service marked its 90th anniversary. The agency’s roots can be traced back to 1935, when the then Soil Conservation Service was established in response to the Dust Bowl – a series of severe dust storms in the early 30s that caused widespread devastation. What is less commonly known is that Hugh Hammond Bennett, the “father of soil conservation,” had been campaigning for a coordinated solution to soil erosion long before then. He even led a temporary Soil Erosion Service before a permanent conservation agency was created.
In a piece commemorating the agency’s 90 years, NRCS historian Shelby Callaway outlines its history and its evolution into the interdisciplinary organization it is today.
Read the article.