The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) presents the summary report of the "1997 National Resources Inventory (NRI)" in PDF format. The "NRI" is a database that contains a statistically based sample of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. nonfederal lands.

This new volume is the first independent analysis of an important national data base, the National Resources Inventory. It cites potential uses of the NRI in controlling soil erosion; determining land use; deciding conservation treatment; classifying soils; and protecting groundwater quality. Methods for soil conservation activities, ranging from the ranking of the lands most susceptible to erosion to the measurement and prediction of both wind and water erosion, are recommended throughout the volume.