Natural Resources Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Service

An Agency of USDAAn Agency of USDA

High Quality, Productive SoilsHigh Quality, Productive Soils to to enable sustained production of a safe, enable sustained production of a safe, healthy, and abundant food supply. healthy, and abundant food supply.

NRCS’s Mission Goals

Clean and Clean and Abundant WaterAbundant Water to to protect human protect human health, support a health, support a healthy environment, healthy environment, encourage a encourage a productive productive landscape, and landscape, and ensure an abundant ensure an abundant and reliable water and reliable water supplysupply

Healthy Plant and Animal CommunitiesHealthy Plant and Animal Communities to to provide habitats for diverse and healthy provide habitats for diverse and healthy wildlife, aquatic species, and plant wildlife, aquatic species, and plant communities; protect water quality; and communities; protect water quality; and reduce flood damages. reduce flood damages.

Clean AirClean Air to make a positive to make a positive contribution to local air quality and contribution to local air quality and the Nation’s effort to sequester the Nation’s effort to sequester carbon.carbon.

Adequate Adequate Energy SupplyEnergy Supply to conserve to conserve energy and be a energy and be a source of source of environmentally environmentally sustainable sustainable biofuels and biofuels and renewable renewable energy. energy.

Working Working Farm and Farm and Ranch LandsRanch Lands to sustain a to sustain a viable viable agricultural agricultural sector and sector and natural natural resource resource quality. quality.

Partner with other Partner with other local, state and local, state and federal agencies federal agencies to provide to provide natural resource natural resource conservation to conservation to private lands in private lands in Rhode Island.Rhode Island.

Habitat Habitat Restoration and Restoration and Management:Management:

working with CRMC on working with CRMC on restoration projects – restoration projects –

Gooseneck Cove, Gooseneck Cove, Blackstone River Fish Blackstone River Fish Passage Restoration,Passage Restoration,

Walker Farm Restoration Walker Farm Restoration ProjectProject

Stream and Riparian Stream and Riparian Restoration and Restoration and

ManagementManagement

ConservatioConservation Planning:n Planning:Provide planning Provide planning

assistance to CRMC assistance to CRMC through the CRMC through the CRMC

SAMPsSAMPs

Flood Plain ManagementFlood Plain Management

Soil Survey and Soil Survey and InterpretationsInterpretations

Plant Materials and Crop Plant Materials and Crop ManagementManagement

J. Eric Scherer J. Eric Scherer

State Resource ConservationistState Resource Conservationist

USDA - Natural Resources Conservation ServiceUSDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service60 Quaker Lane, Suite 4660 Quaker Lane, Suite 46

Warwick, RI  02886Warwick, RI  02886TEL (401) 822-8814TEL (401) 822-8814FAX (401) 828-0433FAX (401) 828-0433

e-mail: eric.scherer@ri.usda.gov e-mail: eric.scherer@ri.usda.gov