Lanterna Rally

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Published: 2007

Total Pages: 11

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Defining exactly what conservation technical assistance is and does, and reaching agreement on a definition, is difficult. Broadly defined, it is information, technical expertise, and a delivery system for providing assistance to landowners and users with respect to conservation and use of natural resources. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) -- the federal agency that provides this assistance -- defines it as "getting conservation on the ground." While this definition lacks specificity, it is the one most often used. Technical assistance has been discussed extensively at congressional hearings on agriculture conservation. Producers, ranchers, environmentalists, and wildlife advocates continue to raise the issue of technical assistance and the need or desire for additional support. Though Congress is to discuss conservation technical assistance in the 2007 farm bill, other issues related to it exist outside of the traditional farm bill debate. A broader perspective on technical assistance raises questions about the capacity of the current technical assistance structure as well as future limitations. A perceived lack of definition and understanding of what technical assistance is and is not creates questions around this capacity that are not easily answered or understood. Technical assistance is provided and funded (if only partially) within most conservation programs. There is no single overarching description of technical assistance for all programs. Similarly, there is no single method of providing technical assistance. It involves multiple disciplines working together to provide a collective pool of conservation knowledge. The full scope of technical assistance is best understood by examining how it operates within each conservation program. Historically, technical assistance has evolved in the range of topics addressed; it currently addresses a wide variety of natural resource concerns. Recent farm bills have repeatedly added natural resource concerns to the conservation mission, leaving many to question whether the current technical assistance delivery system has retained the capacity to function effectively. Demands on available capital (both human and financial), combined with additional questions for technological capacity and an ever-expanding list of natural resource concerns, has caused discussion in the current farm bill debate. Though technical assistance can only be broadly defined, this report is intended to offer information about aspects of the definition. Future policy changes affecting technical assistance may include funding levels, spending caps, accountability, and staff capacity. Immediate discussion of the topic in the context of the 2007 farm bill likely will center on common themes such as demand and capacity; cost and funding; conservation mission and priorities; and technology and advancement. Long-term issues regarding technical assistance are expected to extend beyond the farm bill debate.