This summer, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service will mail a survey to 43,000 forest and grazing landowners across the U.S.
It’s called the Conservation Practice Adoption Motivations Survey. It will gather information to understand why people choose to use different conservation practices, and whether they continue to use practices over time. The data is meant to help improve voluntary conservation programs.
NASS will mail an invitation to respond early online at agcounts.usda.gov starting June 24. NASS will mail questionnaires on July 8 with the option for survey recipients to respond online, by mail, or fax. If NASS does not receive completed questionnaires by July 28, they may reach out to schedule interviews.
“Your input will help improve our voluntary conservation programs, including technical and financial assistance,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “By responding to CPAMS, you also help document and give credit to your ongoing stewardship of America’s agricultural forest land resources.”
A data highlights publication is scheduled for October 2024 at nass.usda.gov.
Four different conservation categories are researched through CPAMS overall: crop practices, confined livestock practices, grazing practices, and forestry practices.
This year, NASS will survey grazing practices and forestry practices. Crop practices and confined livestock practices were surveyed in 2022.
Protected by federal law, responses are confidential and used for statistical purposes only. No single respondent can be identified from the published data.