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February 15, 1894

Division of Agricultural Soils established in the Department of Agriculture

March 1, 1899

Soil survey program began with Congressional authorization for mapping of tobacco lands.

February 16, 1929

Soil conservation experiment stations authorized.

April 5, 1933

The federal government established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

September 19, 1933

Soil Erosion Service created in the Department of the Interior.

April 27, 1935

Soil Conservation Service created in the Department of Agriculture.

June 22, 1936

Flood Control Act of 1936 authorized USDA to develop measures to retard water flow and prevent soil erosion in selected watersheds.

February 27, 1937

President Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged states to enact a conservation district law to enable the Department of Agriculture to provide assistance to local conservation districts.

March 3, 1937

Arkansas became the first state to enact the Standard State Conservation Districts Law.

March 25, 1937

Kansas Governor Walter Huxman signed into law a bill creating conservation districts in Kansas.

1937

The State Conservation Commission established.

June 22, 1938

Labette County Conservation District became the first conservation district to be authorized in Kansas.

June 29, 1938

The first CCC camp opened at Parsons, Kansas.

November 16, 1938

The first Soil Conservation Service employee arrived in Labette County to assist farmers.

December 29, 1938

Pete Benson signed up as the first cooperating farmer in the district and the state.

December 12, 1944

Flood Control Act of 1944 authorized 11 flood prevention projects, and authorized the Emergency Watershed Protection Program to help protect lives and property following natural disasters.

July 25, 1946

National Association of Conservation Districts founded by district official from 17 states, Chicago, IL.

November 1945

The basis for operation of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD) adopted.

March 22, 1954

Shawnee County, the last county in the state, organized as a conservation district.

August 4, 1954

Small Watershed Program enacted to help communities protect, improve and develop watersheds. Bee Creek Watershed District in Chautauqua County was one of the first watershed dams constructed.

August 7, 1956

Great Plains Conservation Program (GPCP) created to help protect the drought-prone Great Plains against wind erosion. Sixty-two counties west of U.S. Highway 81 reap the benefits of this program.

December 31, 1957

First GPCP contract signed in Finney County.

September 27, 1962

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program enacted to advance resource development and environmental protection in multi-county areas.

February 7, 1967

National Association of State Conservation Agencies officially organized.

1968

Governor Robert B. Docking signed the first strip mining reclamation law in Kansas. Sunflower RC&D, a seven-county area in south central Kansas was the first RC&D (Rural Conservation and Development) to be established in the state.

January 1, 1970

National Environmental Policy Act to require assessment of impacts of federal actions on the environment enacted.

December 1975

Modern soil classification system developed and adopted.

August 3, 1977

Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP) created.

November 18, 1977

Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act enacted to further the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the nation's natural resources for sustained use.

December 23, 1985

Food Security Act (FSA) linked conservation to eligibility for USDA program benefits. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was a part of FSA. Kansas has more than 2 million acres seeded to grass under this program.

April 12, 1990

Harney silt loam adopted as the Kansas State Soil when Governor Mike Hayden signed Senate Bill 96.

October 20, 1994

Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCScreated under reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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