Natural Resources Inventory

Updated June 16, 2008

The National Resources Inventory (NRI) is an inventory of land cover and use, soil erosion, prime farmland, wetlands, and other natural resource characteristics on non-Federal rural land in the United States. The NRI provides a record of the Nation's conservation accomplishments and future program needs.

The primary objective of the NRI is to provide natural resource managers, policy makers, and the public with scientifically valid, timely, and relevant information on natural resources and the environment of the Caribbean Area. This information can provide the scientific basis for effective public policies, sound agricultural and natural resource legislation, sensible local and national conservation programs, and targeted USDA financial and technical assistance in addressing natural resource concerns. NRI data are designed to be part of the core components of the agency's strategic planning and accountability efforts, and to help assess consequences of existing legislative mandates, such as the Farm Bill.

Data for the 1997 NRI were collected for 2,410 primary sampling units (PSU's) in the Caribbean Area by NRCS field personnel, resource inventory specialists, and remote sensing data collectors. The NRI was scientifically designed and conducted and is based on recognized statistical sampling methods. NRI data are statistically reliable for national, regional, state and sub-state analysis. Generally, however, interpretations at the local level may be misleading.

These documents require Adobe Acrobat

1997 NRI Caribbean Area Data Tables (94 KB, revised December 2000)
1997 NRI Caribbean Area Brochure (502 KB)

National Program links

For additional information related to the Natural Resources Inventory, please contact: Carmen L. Santiago

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