[1] Its mission is to improve, protect, and conserve natural resources on private lands through a cooperative partnership with state and local agencies.

While its primary focus has been agricultural lands, it has made many technical contributions to soil surveying, classification, and water quality improvement.

The agency was founded largely through the efforts of Hugh Hammond Bennett, a soil conservation pioneer who worked for the Department of Agriculture from 1903 to 1952.

[4] Bennett's motivation was based on his knowledge of the detrimental effects of soil erosion and the impacts on U.S lands[5] that led to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.

[9] These districts provided financial as well as technical support, such as assistance inventorying natural resources, to land owners in their conservation efforts upon request.

[4] As part of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, the agency was renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service during the tenure of Chief Paul Johnson.

[11] NRCS offers these services to private land owners, conservation districts, tribes, and other types of organizations.

In October 2011, The National "Managing Water, Harvesting Results"[18] Summit was held to promote the drainage techniques used in hopes of people adopting them nationwide.

NRCS agents collect data from snowpack and mountain sites to predict spring runoff and summer streamflow amounts.

[21] Is a program to assist gulf bordering states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) improve water quality and use sustainable methods of farming, fishing, and other industry.

The program will deliver up to 50 million dollars over 2011–2013 to apply these sustainable methods, as well as wildlife habitat management systems that do not hinder agricultural productivity, and prevent future over use of water resources to protect native endangered species.

The main bulk of international programs focused on preventing soil erosion by sharing techniques known to the United States with other areas.

[24] These programs are to encourage local landowners and organizations to participate in the conservation of natural resources on their land, and lastly, landscape planning has a goal to solve problems dealing with natural resource conservation with the help of the community in order to reach a desired future outcome.

[32] Water pollution related to agricultural practices is addressed in several NRCS programs which provide financial and technical assistance.

[33] Nutrient pollution caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in farm surface runoff depletes oxygen levels and creates algal blooms in lakes, streams and rivers, harming aquatic life.

[36] The NRCS engineering vision is constantly making improvements to irrigation systems in a way that incorporates every aspect of water restoration.

They work in many areas such as: hydrology and hydraulics, stream restoration, wetlands, agriculture, agronomy, animal waste management, pest control, salinity, irrigation, and nutrients in water.

NRCS protects the plants and animals because they provide us with food, materials for shelter, fuel to keep us warm, and air to breathe.

NRCS provides guidance to assist conservationists and landowners with enhancing plant and animal populations as well as helping them deal with invasive species.

[40] NRCS for years has been working toward restoration, creation, enhancement, and maintenance for aquatic life on the nearly 70% of land that is privately owned in order to keep the habitats and wildlife protected.

The proper maintenance of livestock can also improve soil and water resources by providing a waste management system so that run off and erosion is not a problem.

They also work on developing plant organisms and technologies that are suited for the dry, high salt content soil of the area.