NASS Conducting Conservation Survey

NASS and NRCS are reaching out to farmers and ranchers nationwide to gather information about the conservation practices they use.  Nearly 23,000 operators nationwide will receive the 2025 Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey.  Data obtained will support the third set of national and regional cropland assessments delivered by USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).

“Responding to the survey gives farmers the opportunity to provide the most accurate picture of conservation practices on their cropland,” said NASS Administrator Joe Parsons. “Information from CEAP, which is made stronger by robust survey response, will help inform programs that benefit producers by protecting the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend.”

Not All Farmers Will Be Asked To Participate

Parsons noted local NASS representatives will visit farmers and agricultural landowners over the next two months to determine if their operations and properties meet the criteria to be considered eligible candidates for the survey.   Eligible farmers and landowners may be contacted between November and March and asked to participate in the survey.

Typical questions will discuss farm production practices; chemical, fertilizer, and manure applications; tillage; irrigation use; and installed conservation practices.

How Can CEAP Help Producers?

CEAP Cropland Assessments quantify the environmental outcomes associated with implementation and installation of conservation practices on agricultural lands. Findings are used to guide conservation program development and support agricultural producers and partners in making informed management decisions backed by data and science.

NASS said specifically, CEAP results may help:

• Evaluate the resources farmers may need in the future to protect soil, water, and habitat. 
• Shed light on techniques farmers use to conserve healthy environments. 
• Improve and strengthen technical and financial programs that help landowners plan and install conservation practices on agricultural land. 
• Support the conservation programs that can help producers’ profits while also protecting natural resources. 

The CEAP survey is conducted through a cooperative agreement between NRCS and NASS.  NRCS will couple survey results with modeling to report on trends in cropland conservation from 2024 through 2026.

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