Partnership Statement - The federal/state/local partnership represented by the undersigned represents a unique example of cooperation to advance natural resource conservation throughout the United States.  The purpose of this statement is to describe our areas of common interest and to specify our individual commitments to those common goals.  Those commitments are further described in the individual organizational strategic plans.
 

1. Introduction The five members of this conservation partnership - the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA), the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (NARC&DCs) and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) - operate on a variety of issues and levels and are an example of a true federal/national, state, local and private partnership regarding policy and operations issues involving conservation programs impacts that are critical and invaluable to the Nation.

2. Principals  The members of this partnership share certain principles in common.  These principle include the common interest of conserving, developing and utilizing America's natural resources for the benefit of its' citizens.  Each of the partners brings a certain set of resources, authorities and skills that are important - that must be used in a coordinated fashion, to achieve these shared conservation principles and goals.

3. Basis for this partnership The entities involved have legal status at either national, state, and/or local governmental level or private sector non profit status to carry out conservation objectives.  For example there are existing written agreements to specify the relationships between governors and the Secretary of Agriculture and between NRCS and individual conservation districts as elements of this partnership.  While the partnership has evolved over the seventy year history of this movement in the US, a formalization of this partnership was set up about 15 years ago.

4. Some Examples of Common Goals

   1. Training  Each of the partners shares a need to train and prepare its employees and officials to achieve conservation success.  Often this training including organizational training can be shared among the partners to achieve seamless delivery of services in the organizations, offices, and the field.  To the end that it is mutually beneficial, the partners agree to cooperate on training opportunities.

   2. Outreach and Diversity The leaders of the partnership are responsible for providing significant national impetus towards greater diversity in the partnership and outreach to the community.  Through such things as national conferences and training sessions, state and local workshops, follow up materials and commitments to reach all citizens/customers in all communities and to reflect the needs of local communities in several ways including recruitment of board, council, and committee members as well as in hiring and contracting for work we can broaden the conservation partnership to include those who have been underserved in the past.  The breadth of the conservation mission leads itself to a very inclusive definitions including all natural resources, all populations and a variety of approaches.

   3. Expanding the Partnership  While there is a continuing need for the partnership to adhere to the points in this statement, there is also a growing need to use this partnership in various ways that involves tens of billions of dollars of program work each year to accomplish the conservation of the natural resources in this country and the world.  In that regard we intend to reach out in an even more aggressive way than in the past to engage and enlist other conservation minded individuals, and or organizations to address specific issues, to combine forces where necessary to achieve greater benefits, to build broad support for natural resource conservation and many other purposes.

   4. Strategic Planning  The partnership will regularly endorse some key overarching goals and objectives that will guide future endeavors and will provide a benchmark for progress as well as provide examples for state partnership enhancement.

   5. Annual Review  We are committed to regular reviews of our progress towards common goals and objectives as well as other components of this statement so as to stay fresh and current.  This will also help the partnership transition more efficiently during times of - change - to new partner leaders who come on the scene in varying schedules or timeframes.

Olin Sims, President
National Association of Conservation Districts
 

Sharon Ruggi, President
National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils
 

Peter Jahraus, President
National Association of State Conservation Agencies

 

Cindy Moon, President
National Conservation District Employees Association
 

Arlen Lancaster, Chief
Natural Resources Conservation Service