National Cooperative Soil Survey

The National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) is a nationwide partnership of federal, regional, state, and local agencies and institutions. This partnership works together to cooperatively investigate, inventory, document, classify, and interpret soils and to disseminate, publish, and promote the use of information about the soils of the United States and its trust territories. The activities of the NCSS are carried out on national, regional, and state levels. Source: Definition of the National Cooperative Soil Survey

NCSS coordinates technically and operationally at National, regional, and State levels. Its activities relate to the technology for the collection, management, and presentation of information about the properties, patterns, and responses of soils and to other joint concerns, such as training and coordinated research and operations. Workshops, meetings, and conferences are held at each level to discuss and resolve concerns, proposals, and recommendations for the cooperative soil survey.

NSCSS members rely on the professional application NCSS technical standards. They are not the only standards we use, but NCSS standards are particularly valuable to our body of work because they are dynamic. NSCSS members rely on NCSS standards and procedures to such an extent that adherence is required of our consulting members by NSCSS bylaws. Communication of NCSS standards and updates is prominent among NSCSS' goals.

Memorandum of Understanding

The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists' (NSCSS) 1997 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NRCS (PDF here) establishes NSCSS as a member of NCSS. (Subsequently referred to in NCSS bylaws here) The MOU, signed by NSCSS President, Mark McClain, specifies the purpose, scope, and conditions by which NSCSS will participate in the NCSS. These specifications serve as guidance for all who will represent NSCSS as NCSS liaison.

Purpose

The MOU is meant to establish a mechanism to enable direct representation of private sector consulting soil scientists in NCSS. Missing from that purpose is a basis for private sector consulting soil scientist to participate in NCSS training, a deficiency which NSCSS hopes to eliminate by revising the current MOU with NRCS.

Scope

Besides establishing membership status in the NCSS, the MOU promotes the participation of members of NSCSS to various NSCSS committees including but not restricted to the Steering Committee. It allows the participation of NSCSS members to develop the standards of practice used for field investigations. It coordinates efforts by NRCS and NSCSS for identifying the various roles and obligations of public and private sector soil scientists and improving communications in an effort to eliminate conflicts between private and public sector soil scientists in providing technical services to the public. It provides for the sharing of data and places the NSCSS' national office on the mailing list for technical memoranda from NRCS headquarters. It encourages public sector soil scientists to join NSCSS as members. There is much for NSCSS to work with here.

Conditions

The MOU commits no funds, recommends review of the agreement on a five year interval, and clearly states that the MOU will not expire unintentionally.

National Conference

NSCSS representation on the National Soil Survey Conference Steering Committee is as specified by the Article VI (Steering Committee) Section 1.1.6 of the Bylaws of the National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference (NSSH Part 602-1). The Steering Committee is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the National Soil Survey Conference, which occurs in odd-numbered years. Planning is intended to begin immediately after the end of each conference.

Regional Conferences

Regional steering committees are coordinated with the NRCS State Soil Scientist in the state hosting the next regional Soil Survey Conference. Regional Conferences occur in even numbered years. The States hosting the 2010 regional conferences have been established, with locations and dates. (Confirm here)

• North Central: Columbus, Ohio - June 14-18, 2010
• Northeast: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania - June 6-11, 2010
• South: College Station, Texas - July 12-16, 2010
• West: Las Vegas, Nevada - June 21-25, 2010

Western Region

The Bylaws of the Western Regional Cooperative Soil Survey Conference (Exhibit 602-2) extend permanent membership to NSCSS, specifically: Article III Section 3.0 Permanent Membership: President-elect or delegated representative from the National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists (NSCSS)

Northeastern Region

The Bylaws of the Northeastern Cooperative Soil Survey Conference (Exhibit 602-3) have not extended permanent membership to NSCSS, but the structure of the bylaws indicates that this would be feasible.

North Central Region

The Bylaws of the North Central Regional Soil Survey Conference (Exhibit 602-4) are not structured to enable direct representation of private sector consulting soil scientists.

Southern Region

The Bylaws of the Southern Regional Cooperative Soil Survey Conference (Exhibit 602-5) extend permanent membership to NSCSS. The conference bylaws also confer membership to NSCSS for The Southern Regional Technical Committee for Hydric Soils.