The Resource Conservation and Development Program (RC&D) was initiated in 1962 to help people care for and protect their natural resources to improve an area's economy, environment and living standards. The program provides a way for local residents to work together and plan how they can actively solve environmental, economic and social problems facing their communities. Today, the program continues to successfully deliver coordinated resource conservation and rural development assistance.

RC&D pulls together communities, various units of government and grassroots organizations and helps them establish direction for the local program. Currently, there are 277 (two in New Jersey) authorized RC&D areas serving 2,016 counties in about half of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. More than 20,000 volunteers annually contribute their time and resources to revitalize and sustain their communities.

The RC&D Program Activities fit into four areas:

1. Land Conservation - Protects the resource base and finds the best ways to use it.

2. Community Development - Improves economic and community development in rural areas.

3. Water Management - Helps local people conserve, utilize and improve the quality and quantity of available water.

4. Environmental Enhancement - Improves the environment.