Uniting the fighting spirit of the eagle with the compassion of the human touch

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Uniting the fighting spirit of the eagle with
the compassion of the human touch
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Experiment Stations and the National Cooperative
Soil Survey
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National Cooperative Soil Survey

• Soil survey production and support
• Fundamental natural resource inventory to
  society.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service is lead
  agency
• Experiment station is a cooperator
• Liaison to NCSS appointed from each university

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National Cooperative Soil Survey

• NCSS established as a cooperative undertaking
  between USDA and Exp. Stations in 1899.
• Soils surveys conducted cooperatively under
  various MOUs.

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Experiment Station responsibilities to NCSS

• Quality control,
• Soil characterization lab data (certain states),
• Field review of on-going surveys by county,
• Review of soil survey manuscripts,
• Education of future employees,
• Technical expertise (e.g. crop yield and
  management, erosion control, urban suitability
  interpretations),
• Special projects (developing techniques,
  methodologies etc..),
• Research in Soil Morphology, Genesis and
  Classification,
• Hosting/participation in State, Regional, and
  National Work Planning Conferences,
• Contributions to NCSS technical and scientific
  standards made by Exp. Stations at work planning
  conferences.

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NRCS responsibilities facilitating research

• Some financial support,
• Substantial field support of research,
• Current examples of cooperative research
• Region-wide water table study (Southeast),
• Evaluation of soil wetness features (Arkansas,
  North Carolina),
• Evaluation of soil properties and water movement
  in Piedmont soils (Georgia),
• Innovative Technologies in Soil Survey (Alabama).

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Other Cooperative Activities

• Soil judging contests
• Hiring and training students
• (part-time and permanent)
• - 65 of work force to retire in five years
• Development of field trips and tours
• Technical expertise
• Opens pathways for other NRCS-Exp. Station
  efforts (e.g. conservation research)

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Overall........

• Mutually beneficial relationship

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Issues

• Some states have maintained strong cooperative
  efforts,
• Nation-wide declining Exp. Station presence in
  NCSS activities,
• Possible reasons
• Soil survey evolving, once-over nearing
  completion, transition period,
• Decreasing faculty numbers,
• Historical shift in cooperator roles from field
  survey to technical support,
• Retirement of faculty and NRCS personnel with
  long-term working relationships,
• However, there is increasing pressure on the soil
  resource and related land use issues
• Survey updates, soil interpretations and new
  technologies are increasingly important so Exp.
  Station role is more critical than ever due to
  broadening user demands.

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Issues- From National Soil Survey Center

• Changing NRCS focus and structure shift to Major
  Land Resource Area update and maintenance mode
• NRCS looking for ways to support cooperator
  laboratories on regional basis.
• National Geospatial Development Center (NGDC) to
  target funds for particular projects.
• NRCS seeking cooperator support and review for
  funding for interpretations needs, including
  cooperator input for projects with regional
  relevance.

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Summary

• Soil surveys are a prominent cooperative Exp.
  Station achievement
• Fundamental to stakeholder (urban and non-urban)
  functions.
• Insufficient recognition and exposure.
• Possible opportunities to leverage additional
  funds.