U.S. Department of Agriculture: Conservation

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Farming and Rural Communities

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Food Safety

Conserving the resources of public and private lands is another duty of the USDA. The best-known conservation agency within the USDA is the United States Forest Service, which produced the popular Smokey the Bear advertising campaign to prevent forest fires. The Forest Service also has a close relationship with business: As a protector of national forests, the service works with private companies that harvest trees in national forests. It regulates where and how trees will be cut to preserve the national forests while also allowing harvesting of lumber needed to build houses and to thin the forests.

Finally, the Natural Resources Conservation Service researches and dispenses information on the conservation of topsoil and water and the proper use of irrigation systems. It educates farmers and gardeners alike, teaching them to prevent fires, to use natural and artificial fertilizers effectively, and to rotate crops to maintain soil integrity.