FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2011
For More Information Contact: Cara Clark, Visual Information Specialist, (217) 353.6607
 

NRCS Moves to a New Website

Champaign, IL—USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is pleased to announce their national website has adopted a new look-and-feel and will use a new web content management system. As of August 1, 2011 NRCS’ new website will improve how the agency communicates with the public. With this move, NRCS strives to improve how web users can find and use their vast amount of content. In order to access or view, simply visit our national NRCS website.

Organization of Content & Consolidation
The new NRCS website will organize content by subject, such as Soil, Water, and Air. Visitors can search for information about subjects by name, as opposed to having to navigate through countless program or division pages. In the past, if a website visitor wanted to know how NRCS works to improve our nation’s water resources, they essentially had to visit the National Water Management Center website, the Water Quality and Quantity website, and the Wetland Science website to gather information. Now, they can simply go to the NRCS homepage and click on “Water.” NRCS consolidated 12 separate NRCS websites into one.

Improvements
NRCS has improved the site’s search capability, giving users an advanced search capability to better define what they seek. As for new features, if you want to stay up to date on the latest NRCS news, the new site has an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feature. This allows you to receive news releases through the email or RSS reader, such as other free popular ones. The public can also provide feedback through the new website feedback forms, which can be found in the "Contact Us" section of the new site. NRCS will still have a "Programs and Services" section, where in-depth information about the Farm Bill and other financial and technical assistance programs can be found. The "Technical Resources" section remains as well. Users can find special content in the new "People" section, which includes information for employees, volunteers, and partners.

The Future of NRCS Websites
The Illinois NRCS site—and all other NRCS state websites--will move to the new web content management system over the next 12-18 months. In addition, NRCS Soils center website and Water and Climate Center website will move to the new web system. Even with the new national NRCS website, improvements will continue to be made over the coming months. NRCS wants their website to communicate in the best way possible to core customers and the general public, so that everyone can take advantage of the data, technical help, and financial help NRCS provides.

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