WCC093: Western Region Soil Survey and Inventory
Statement of Issues and Justification
The National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) is a federal and state partnership charged with the survey and inventory of soil resources in the United States and its territories. All surveys conducted under NCSS must adhere to strict standards of quality and scope. Federal cooperators include personnel from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, National Biological Research, National Park Service, and the US military services. State cooperators include soil scientists primarily from Agricultural Experiment Stations involved in soil survey and pedological research (soil genesis, classification, morphology, interpretation, and mineralogy), but may include state agencies involved in natural resource management. Soil scientists from the private sector have increased their participation in NCSS activities as well.Historically, Experiment Station cooperators have been involved in almost all aspects of soil survey. Currently, Experiment Stations are subject to static or reduced funding, increasing demands for research productivity, and obtaining external grant funds, while still committed to providing quality soil survey, interpretations, and research assistance to the NCSS. At the same time, federal agencies involved in NCSS are subject to limited funds, organizational restructuring, and a changing clientele demanding new surveys and expanded data interpretation oriented toward ecosystem management and environmental quality.
The Western Coordinating Committee-93 and its predecessor, WRCC-30, have provided opportunity for western Experiment Station cooperators to meet with leaders of the NCSS in the western region and coordinate regional activities consistent with the goals of NCSS. Because of changing demands on all NCSS cooperators, WCC-93 continues to be essential for providing opportunity for Experiment Station personnel to be actively involved in planning of NCSS activities and coordination of research to support NCSS programs.
Soils and ecosystems in the western region are distinct from other regions, encompassing high altitude and high latitude, volcanic, arid/semiarid, and cold soils and ecosystems. Development of successful survey, inventory, and management strategies requires research conducted specifically in ecosystems unique to this region. Many of these ecosystems occur on lands managed by cooperators in NCSS, primarily the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and the military services. These cooperators have become increasing active in their participation in the NCSS, especially the NPs and military. In many cases, the needs for soil survey information on these lands is quite different from the needs of resource conservation districts whose primary focus is on agricultural production systems. Coordination of research consistent with NCSS goals must be expanded to include the full range of cooperators.
Coordination of research activities via WCC-93 is essential for Experiment Station cooperators to fulfill their commitments to NCSS in the west. Because each western state Experiment Station has so few personnel actively involved in soil survey, and the distances between personnel are so great, it is critical that this committee be renewed to provide continued opportunities for regional coordination of activities related to soil survey.
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