Resource Conservation & Development History
Congress originally established the RC&D program under the Department of Agriculture in the 1960's in order to promote the completion of conservation and development projects.
Since that time, 375 RC&D councils were established across the country, including Guam, American Samoa, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In 2011, federal funding through the National Resource Conservation Service was terminated, but many local councils continue to operate as individual non-profit organizations. In North Carolina, ten RC&D councils work to promote conservation and development projects.