TY - JOUR T1 - Technical service providers: What's the potential? JF - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation SP - 144A LP - 144A VL - 57 IS - 6 AU - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Y1 - 2002/11/01 UR - http://www.jswconline.org/content/57/6/144A.abstract N2 - November 21, an interim rule for technical service provider assistance was published in the Federal Register. Public comment is being requested by February 10,2003. This program could define or muddy that technical services infrastructure. What are the issues surrounding this technical service provider initiative? A foundation to build on USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical expertise and education to producers to help them make land management decisions. When a producer applies to participate in a USDA conservation program, NRCS helps the producer evaluate the resource conditions on their land to determine the most appropriate way to meet the producer's conservation objectives. It's widely acknowledged both inside and outside NRCS that they haven't been able to keep up with the technical assistance demands over the last few years. Add to this that the farm bill allocates a record $13 billion for conservation over the next six years and you have a situation where additional help is needed. NRCS staff roughly estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the technical services needed to implement programs created by this latest farm bill will have to come from private and public entities … ER -