If you’re a farmer or other operator, you may be asked to participate in a survey to gather in depth information about the use of conservation practices on cultivated cropland.
The 2025 Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Survey is a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS will visit approximately 23,000 operators across the contiguous U.S. in August and September 2025 to determine survey eligibility. A more in-depth follow-up survey will be conducted starting in November 2025. This is the second of three years of surveys conducted by NASS. Once surveying is complete, NRCS will combine the data with information from the National Resources Inventory, NRCS field staff, and multiple data sources to estimate environmental and management outcomes of conservation on cultivated cropland across U.S. farms. NRCS will publish the findings as a CEAP Cropland Assessment report. CEAP Cropland Assessments quantify the effects of voluntary conservation efforts across the nation’s cropland at both regional and national scales.
“The farmer is the solution and not the problem. They address issues like water quality and soil health every day on their operations through voluntary conservation” said NRCS Deputy Chief Terron Hillsman. Deputy Chief Hillsman goes on to say “It is important we measure and quantify benefits of conservation implemented not only through financial and technical assistance provided by NRCS but also through the voluntary efforts of farmers so they can receive credit for the amazing work they are doing to protect our nation’s natural resources and increase the sustainability of American agriculture. CEAP Cropland Assessments enable producers to tell their conservation success stories, conservation partners to improve the science and delivery of programs and practices, and policymakers to prioritize programs that enable farmers to address resource concerns.”
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
