Subject: INV – 2019 National Resources Inventory Grazing Land Onsite Data Collection
Expiration Date.  December 31, 2019

Purpose

To provide information about the 2019 National Resources Inventory (NRI) Grazing Land Onsite data collection on non-Federal and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Federal land and about plans for 2019 NRI Grazing Land Onsite data collection training.

Background

States have the responsibility for coordinating, collecting, and reviewing NRI Grazing Land Onsite survey data for non-Federal pastureland, non-Federal rangeland, and BLM-managed Federal rangeland.  Lists of the sample sites selected for NRI Grazing Land Onsite surveys are forwarded to State resource inventory coordinators (SRICs) to assist with planning. The National Employee Development Center (NEDC) hosts national NRI Grazing Land Onsite trainings. Additional webinars are conducted by grazing land specialists to provide updates for the current year’s survey and an overview of data collection methods and survey applications.

Explanation

The 2019 NRI Grazing Land Onsite data will be collected on non-Federal pasturelands in the 48 conterminous States, on non-Federal rangelands in 20 States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), and on BLM-managed Federal rangeland in 12 States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming).  Lists of sample segments for the 2019 NRI Grazing Land Onsite data collection on non-Federal pastureland and, where applicable, non-Federal rangeland and BLM-managed Federal rangeland will be provided to SRICs.

NRCS is committed to honoring its agreement with BLM to carry out data collection on BLM land in accordance with established protocols in a timely manner. This is the third year of NRCS’s second 5-year interagency agreement with BLM.

Data collection will begin March 1, 2019, and continue through September 30, 2019.  The attachment shows that one of three 90-day collection periods have been chosen for each major land resource area (MLRA).

NEDC has tentatively scheduled four national 2019 NRI Grazing Land Onsite data collection trainings in Tucson, AZ, February 26–28; Atmore, AL, April 23–25; Troy, NY, June 4–6; and Rapid City, SD, June 11–13.

In addition to the NEDC trainings, webinars scheduled for February 12, 13, and 14, 2019, will provide updates for the 2019 survey and an overview of data collection methods and survey applications. Details and log-in information will be circulated by email.

Contact

Questions may be directed to Patrick Flanagan, Acting Grazing Land Onsite National Leader, Resource Inventory Division (Patrick.Flanagan@wdc.usda.gov).

/s/

DANIEL MULLARKEY
Acting Deputy Chief for Soil Science and Resource Assessment