National Bulletin: 290-26-2
Date: 2/2/2026
Subject: INV–2026 National Resources Inventory Grazing Land Onsite Data Collection Timelines
Action Required By: October 31, 2026

Purpose: This national bulletin provides information about the 2026 National Resources Inventory (NRI) Grazing Land Onsite data collection on nonfederal and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal land.

Expiration Date: December 31, 2026.

Background: Under 290 GM Part 400, states must coordinate NRI data collection and collect and review NRI data, including NRI Grazing Land Onsite survey data, for nonfederal pastureland, nonfederal rangeland, and BLM-managed federal rangeland. The data reviews give a state-level, local review of the data before analysis and release for approved use; thus, quality assurance in the data collection and review processes is important. The collected data is used for national reporting and state-level support products.

Explanation: The 2026 NRI Grazing Land Onsite surveys will collect data on:

• Nonfederal pastureland in the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii
• Nonfederal rangeland 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)
• BLM-managed federal rangeland in 13 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)

Lists of sample segments and data collection site maps will be provided to states for the 2026 NRI Grazing Land Onsite data collection on nonfederal pastureland and, where applicable, nonfederal rangeland and BLM-managed federal rangeland. The NRI Grazing Land national leader will coordinate the annual national kickoff webinar in mid-February and will provide that information directly to state NRI points of contact once the schedule is settled. The NRI Grazing Land national leader will also send emails to state NRI points of contact providing updates, changes, training, issues, or other important information every month and as needed.

Data collection will begin March 1, 2026, and will continue until September 30, 2026, depending on location. There are three collection windows as shown in the attachments. Data may be collected up to 2 weeks before or after the collection windows if needed due to local conditions.
 

Data collection should prioritize employee safety. The data and locations must be kept confidential.

Fiscal Year 2026 Data Collections: States are asked to implement the following when conducting this data collection effort:

• Contractors: States should consider using qualified contractors where possible. If new contracting opportunities become available, states should explore those opportunities. States with existing contracts should fully utilize those contracts.
• Experienced Teams: Data collectors should be experienced or have attended at least one in-person training session before collecting data. Inexperienced personnel may be used as a second or third member of a data collection team, but teams should not be made of only new collectors. While data collection is critical, the importance of quality exceeds that of quantity. Where practical and appropriate, in-state training sessions may be held if they comply with travel restrictions in effect at the time of the training.
• Landowner and Manager Contact Efforts: States must make at least five attempts to contact the landowner or manager for access before declaring the segment or point as “no contact.” At least three of these attempts must happen before the data collection window for that location. These efforts will help ensure that as much segment data as possible is collected.
• Segment Eligibility: Every segment has at least one point that that has been eligible in the past. If a state determines that a segment does not have any eligible points this year, then the state should notify the NRI Grazing Land Help Desk for a concurrence review. This review must happen during the data collection window so that data may still be collected if the point is determined to be eligible.
   

Data must be collected using the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro handheld data collection device, the Bad Elf Flex Mini GNSS, and the “NRI CASI for Grassland and Shrubland” Android app. The Farm Production and Conservation Employee Development Section will provide information about training opportunities through AgLearn or through the national program leader as those plans are developed.

States must complete all data reviews for quality assurance by October 31, 2026.

Technical assistance is available from technical experts at the Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology (nri-graze-help@iastate.edu) and regional grazing land specialists at the National Technology Support Centers.

Contact: Direct questions to Erik Suffridge, NRI Grazing Land Onsite national leader of the Resource Inventory and Assessment Division, at erik.suffridge@usda.gov.

Attachments: MLRA Map of NRI Grazing Land Onsite Data Collection, February 2025 (PDF)
MLRA Timelines of NRI Grazing Land Onsite Data Collection, February 2025 (Excel)