State Conservationist Message

I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome and your hard work, persistence and great attitude in delivering quality service to our customers. I have heard many positive comments from our partners on your enthusiasm and willingness to cooperate. I am aware that many of you do things that go above and beyond normal expectations and I thank you for going the extra mile.

As NRCS celebrated its 70th anniversary, the Chief said he will be preparing for the next farm bill, but our job is to concentrate on implementation of the 2002 Farm Bill, streamline conservation planning and implementation, and improve efficiency in programs. Some specifics he mentioned were:

• Focus on private working lands by helping people who are making a living on the farm continue to do so.
• Maintain the credibility of the agency in the face of what is expected to be flat budgets in the near future.
• Improve NRCS programs through innovation and coordination, provide incentives for results-oriented activity and not just for practices applied, and improve selection criteria for funded projects.
• Continue to build upon our “World Class Delivery System” and emphasize sound ethics, trust and working partnerships.

Despite the current emphasis on change, our conservation mission remains constant. Thanks for your dedication to protecting and improving West Virginia’s natural resources.

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