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California NRCS Leadership

Carlos Suarez State Conservationist	State Conservationist
	The mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is to address the natural resource conservation on private lands. NRCS defines "conservation" as wise use of natural resources - soil, water, air, plant, and animal - in order to sustain productivity of current and future generations. NRCS accomplishes this mission by working directly with local Resource Conservation Districts and Resource Conservation and Development Councils. They do their best to ensure that local conservation concerns are met. We do our best to balance their specific, local needs with a national conservation effort. Alan Forkey, Assistant State Conservationist, Programs Jim Kocsis, Assistant State Conservationist, Operations Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
Luana E. Kiger Director	Outreach Team
	The California Outreach Team is a group of specialists in communication, planning and resource identification, dedicated to this commitment. The California Outreach Team designs and implements specific outreach activities that allow full participation of traditionally underserved individuals and groups. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
Colleen Schneider Administrative Officer	Management Support
	The Management Support staff is responsible for implementing and maintaining Human Resources Activities, Financial Operations, Contracts, Agreements, Leases, Procurements and Information Technology Operations. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
John Harrington State Engineer	Engineering
	The Engineering Staff provides technical support in engineering design, water management, water supply, water quality, landscape architecture, and geology. The staff is responsible for formulating and recommending state technical policies in conformance with national standards, dam safety, and engineering staffing and training needs. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
Anita Brown Public Affairs Director	Public Affairs
	The Public Affairs office develops products, conducts training and serve as media liaisons for the Agency to build public and understanding of NRCS programs in California. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
Thomas Hedt State Resource Conservationist	Ecological Sciences
	The Ecological Sciences Section provides support and assistance to California NRCS Field Offices regarding technical and natural resource related issues and conservation projects. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
David W. Smith MLRA Office Leader	Pacific Southwest MLRA Region Soil Survey Office
	The Pacific Southwest MLRA Office (MO-2) is responsible for leadership in the planning and managing of the soil survey program and for quality assurance. The region covers most of California, all of Hawaii and the Pacific Basin, parts of southern Oregon, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona and the southwestern tip of Utah. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
David W. Smith State Soil Scientist	Technical Soil Services
	The Technical Soil Services staff help people understand soils and soil survey information. Assistance includes distribution and explanation of soil survey information and products; providing soils information to support the policies and programs of other federal, state, or local agencies or units of government; providing soils information and interpretations to NRCS field office employees, conservation district cooperators, and USDA program participants in the planning of resource conservation practices and resource management systems; and providing services that support the design and installation of civil engineering works, structures, and agricultural practices, or to test and evaluate agriculture research predictions. Contact Directory Roles and Responsibilities
Assistant State Conservationists for Field Operations	Jim Spear, Area I, Red Bluff, California Kay Joy-Barge, Area II, Salinas, California Curtis Tarver, Area III, Fresno, California Jae Lee, Area IV, Riverside, California

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