Soil is a vital natural resource that must be understood, managed, and conserved to sustain the economy and health of the Nation. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps land users and communities understand how natural resources relate to each other and to people—and how human activities affect those resources. NRCS is responsible for leading the Federal part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS), a partnership of Federal land management agencies, State agricultural experiment stations and State and local units of government. NCSS promotes the use of soil information and develops procedures for making soil surveys and describing soils thoughout the U.S. Through NRCS and the NCSS partnerships and committees, there is a standard system for mapping and assessing soil resources; so that soil information from different locations can be shared throughout the country and the world.