NRCS to hold Local Working Group meeting March 12

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), along with other USDA, federal, state and local agencies will hold a Local Working Group (LWG) meeting on Wednesday, March 12.The meeting will be held at the Hallettsville Knights of Columbus Hall beginning with registration at 8 a.m. and start at 8:30 a.m.

For those having interest in natural resources conservation and related issues and concerns are invited to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to collect input from farmers, ranchers, federal, state and local agencies, agricultural leaders, organizations, businesses and other individuals who have an interest in natural resource conservation. Input allows a LWG to identify and prioritize a county’s resource concerns that need to be addressed through the eligible 2018 Farm Bill, conservation practices and aids in establishing ranking criteria for county based funding for the upcoming 2026 Fiscal Year.

The meeting’s recommendations are then provided to and reviewed by the State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), which advises the State Conservationist regarding conservation programs offered by NRCS. Through stakeholder meetings like LWGs, the public has an opportunity to help local conservation leaders prioritize and set natural resource concerns in their counties.