USDA Soil Conservation Service Photograph Collection, circa 1963-1970

The Soil Conservation Service (SCS), formed in 1935, was an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Its function was to promote and lead efforts to protect against soil and watershed degradation as part of a broader concern for conservation, maintenance and improvement of the nation’s natural resources and environment. The SCS was renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 1994.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) are subdivisions of state governments which work independently or in conjunction with the USDA to promote conservation.

West Coast Tree Farms was a group of privately-held tree farms in Oregon and Washington which worked together to enforce forestry science standards, resource conservation techniques, and which invested heavily in fire prevention equipment. It existed under the auspices of the West Coast Lumbermen’s Association, later known as the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau.