News Feature                                                            2/26/2008

RC&D is making things happen in Minnesota

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) program helps people in rural areas plan and carry out activities that increase conservation of natural resources, support economic development, and enhance the environment and standard of living in local communities. 

Because R&D areas are locally organized, sponsored, and led, the program provides an idea way for residents to join together to decide what is best for their community.  USDA provides technical and financial assistance and sponsors obtain additional funding and service from a variety of other sources. RC&D is successful because it provides people with the means to solve natural resource problems and promote sustainable use of natural resources at the local level.

The premise of the RC&D program is that the local people know what is best for their communities.  Because of this, local people create and organize their own RC&D areas, define their own goals, and work with a broad range of public and private entities to achieve their objectives.  People in the community make the choices for their community whether they work on land conservation, water management, land management, community development or something unique to their particular area.  In every case, local people are the decision makers. 

For more information about RC&D in Minnesota, please stop by one of the RC&D  offices located in the USDA Service Centers or check out the MN NRCS webpage for more information regarding RC&D.   

http://www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/rcd/index.html 

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