USDA’s New Survey Will Enhance Conservation Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is launching the 2025 Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The project aims to gather vital information about the conservation practices being used by farmers, ranchers, and landowners across the United States.
Approximately 23,000 operators from various states will be contacted as part of this survey. NASS representatives will visit these agricultural landowners between August and September of 2025 to confirm their eligibility for participation. Eligible participants will then be contacted between November 2025 and March 2026 to complete the survey.
Survey questions will cover a variety of topics, including farm production practices, tillage techniques, irrigation methods, and fertilizer usage. Additionally, it will collect information on the conservation practices that landowners have implemented on their properties.
The data from the survey will be used to update the CEAP Cropland Assessments, which measure the environmental impact of different conservation techniques. The findings will help guide future conservation programs and provide farmers with data-based insights for improving land management and protecting natural resources.
The results of this survey are essential in helping NRCS develop programs that support farmers in maintaining sustainable practices. The data will also help identify the resources that farmers will need in the future to maintain healthy soil and water quality.
As part of the USDA’s ongoing commitment to sustainable farming practices, this survey will play a key role in shaping the future of agriculture conservation efforts.
The survey data will be shared publicly on the CEAP Cropland Assessments webpage and will serve as a vital resource for policymakers and farmers alike.