WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is seeking public input about water quantity in the west related to existing Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. Acting NRCS Chief Kevin Norton will host a virtual, open public listening session Thursday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. If additional time is deemed necessary to hear all input, a second session will be held Friday, December 18 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.“We have heard from stakeholders that we need to do more to address water quantity issues in the western U.S.,” said Acting Chief Norton. “This listening session will enable us to hear directly from people at the local level on how to improve our programs and operations.”Norton also noted that USDA’s roles as Co-Chair of the National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP) and in the newly established Water Subcabinet place greater emphasis on the importance of western water quantity issues.
