• The USDA provides certain requirements for soild conservation on farms.badlands image by rikkidegraz from Fotolia.com
  
  Soil is the most commonly used medium for plant growth. The conservation of soil is not only important for agriculture, it is also important for the environment. Therefore, soil erosion --- the washing and blowing away of soil --- needs to be fought for the soil to have benefit both for the environment and for farmers. The USDA is responsible for ensuring that farmers follow the requirements for soil conservation.
  
  

Penalties

• The United States Department of Agriculture is a federal organization that is responsible for ensuring that proper agricultural standards are met so soil is conserved and so that agricultural practices to not have adverse effects on the environment. Farmers who do not comply with USDA regulations can lose their federal farm subsidies, which are cash payouts to farm owners.
  
  

Wetlands

• Land that is highly erodible must comply to a conservation system. Highly erodible land often includes land that was formerly a wetland. Eroded soil can become devoid of nutrients, which prevents farmers in the future from producing food on the same land, according to the USDA. Also, eroded soil can pollute waterways. Farmers who turn wetlands into converted farmlands will lose their subsidies until they restore the wetlands. If the farmer can prove that the agricultural efforts have not damaged the wetlands, they will not have to cease agricultural activities.
  
  

Restoration Rates

• The soil erosion must be reduced by 75 percent for the soil conservation to be successful. The area must not experience more soil erosion than it can experience without human intervention, according to the USDA. This is because the soil erosion that naturally occurs is usually replaced by the weathering of rock material, which causes new soil to be deposited on the ground. Since plants play a large role in keeping soil from eroding, the removal of plants from the soil by humans leads to the need for humans to take their own steps to stop the soil erosion.
  
  

Regional Assessment

• The types of soil erosion that occur depend on the area where the soil erosion occurs. For this reason, the USDA has different requirements for different areas. Farmers must find out the USDA recommendations for their given area. For example, flatter areas tend to have more soil erosion from wind. This type of erosion can be stopped by setting up wind-breaking trees. Composting is another method of reducing soil erosion because it increases the organic buildup in the soil and keeps the soil in place.