Mission Statement

As collaborators on this web site, our intent is to help land managers and advisors bring soil and environmental concerns into the land management decision-making process. The development of this web site was funded by United States Department of Agriculture - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education - Professional Development Program (USDA SARE PDP) in collaboration with USDA Agricultural Research Service, University of Illinois, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa State University.

The developers of this site are from many disciplines and institutions. Currently, the web site focuses primarily on agricultural land-use issues. We hope to eventually expand this focus to include urban and suburban, forestry, range, and restoration issues and uses of soil.

What we think sets our web site apart is that we started by asking members of our intended audience what kind of information they needed. A two-day meeting with farmers, consultants, educators, and agency personnel was held to learn about their needs and desires for soil quality and agricultural sustainability information. The site that you see reflects the results of these focused discussions. We believe that educational and assessment products are useless if they do not meet the needs of their intended audience, so please do not hesitate to send us your opinions.