Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Seeking Input on Local Resource Concerns

The USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), along with the Benzie Conservation District and the Manistee Conservation District, is hosting a public local work group meeting to discuss the FY2024 Farm Bill Programs. Local work group meetings are formed and held annually to gather input from cooperating federal, state and local agencies, conservation organizations, and the public to determine the priority natural resource concerns in our area. The conservation districts serve a vital role as the link between the private landowner and the USDA-NRCS who administers the farm bill conservation programs. Input provided will be used to help inform NRCS’s strategic response to local natural resource concerns.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 from 1:00 - 3:00pm at the Mills Community House located at 891 Michigan Ave, Benzonia, MI 49616. In addition to the meeting, the NRCS is seeking input via a public survey which can be completed through September 15th, 2023. The survey consists of 16 natural resource concerns that are common to our part of Michigan, such as air quality, terrestrial habitat, surface water and groundwater pollution, and soil health, and asks participants to rank these concerns between low priority, medium priority, and high priority. The concerns prioritized through the survey will be used to determine NRCS’s FY 2024 Farm Bill conservation programs.

take the survey

Paper copies of the survey can be found at either the Manistee Conservation District or Benzie Conservation District offices and can be returned by mail, email, or by dropping it off at the Conservation District offices.

For more information on the local work group meeting or the survey, contact your local NRCS office at 231-889-9666 for Manistee County, or 231-882-4391 for Benzie County.