A USDA agency responsible for developing and carrying out national soil and water programmes in cooperation with landowners, operators, and others. It was created in 1994 reorganisation legislation by merging the Soil Conservation Service and many of the conservation cost-sharing programmes of the Agricultural stabilisation and Conservation Service. The NRCS is responsible for developing and carrying out national soil and water conservation programmes in cooperation with landowners, farm operators, and others. More than 70% of the approximately 12,000 employees work at the field level.