The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service serving South Dakota had a successful fiscal year 2025 (FY25) while serving others through helping people help the land. What does it mean to “help the land?” During the Dust Bowl, 90 years ago, soil erosion w as a major concern. This resource concern prompted the creation of NRCS, which at that time was called the Soil Conservation Service. The increasing demand for conservation planning assistance is the reason NRCS is in every SD county, gathering field data and providing step-by-step information to SD’s private landowners and operators to help improve productivity, soil health, and water quality. In FY25, NRCS staff in SD developed over 3,500 conservation plans that covered more than 2.5 million acres. Jessica Michalski, NRCS Acting State Conservationist in SD, says conservation plans can transform an operation by helping farmers achieve both their conservation and production goals. Almost half of NRCS staff in SD are level 3-certified conservation planners. To obtain level 3 certification, an employee must pass several rigorous planning courses, complete a resource management system plan with a mentor, and demonstrate competency in the planning process. Level 3 planners can write and certify conservation plans and add specialty areas, such as grazing or nutrient management. Jim Dylla is a level 3 NRCS planner who has been planning conservation practices on farms and ranches in 10 counties in Northeastern SD for 26 years as a Soil Conservation Technician, Soil Conservationist, District Conservationist, and Resource Unit Conservationist. “Conservation planning is done best in the field, talking to the producer and asking questions,” Dylla says. “Sometimes the producers don’t realize what goals or problems they have— by spending time with them on their land, you will get a better understanding of what goals they hope to obtain, and the conservation challenges they need to overcome to achieve their goals.  From my experience, the more involved the producer is during the conservation planning process, the more ownership they will take in the conservation being installed, resulting in a successful outcome.” Beyond free one-on-one conservation planning consultations, NRCS also offers financial assistance to implement conservation practices on private lands. In FY25, SD producers met with NRCS staff for technical support and voluntarily enrolled over 1.2 million acres into conservation plans and contracts with the NRCS programs: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), both Agricultural Land Easements (ALE), and Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE), obligating over $128.7  million for conservation activities in SD while benefiting local economies. Showcasing the importance of these programs, the demand for financial assistance regularly outweighs the available funds. For example, in FY25, the EQIP had 1904 applications resulting in 298 contracts (16%), and the CSP had 605 applications, resulting in 291 contracts (48%).  Previously established application due dates have been rescheduled, and all FY26 funding applications will be considered until January 15, 2026. Whether you are part of a multi-generational farm or ranch, just acquired a land lease, or are growing specialty crops and are interested in implementing conservation practices into your operation, you will find your “fit” with NRCS. If you are interested in a free one-on-one consultation or potential financial assistance, please visit your local NRCS office to discuss your goals and learn how an NRCS specialist or program can support your efforts.   ...read more read less