LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — A Texas native with ranching roots is taking over the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the agency that delivers conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers, and private landowners. USDA’s NRCS says Colton Buckley now serves as the agency’s 19th chief.
Buckley is replacing outgoing NRCS Chief Aubrey Bettencourt. He most recently served as Associate Chief, overseeing financial and technical assistance, management, science and technology, soil science, and partnerships.
He will be the youngest Chief of the NRCS in history. Raised on his family’s cattle ranch outside Gatesville, Buckley says his focus is on keeping working lands in working hands while supporting locally led conservation.
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