Who is SOC?
NRCS, DATCP, DNR, WI Land+Water, UW Div. of Extension, DOT, and more!
SOC is structured by representatives of cooperating agencies and organizations in the state who are involved with developing technical standards and the delivery of soil and water conservation programs.
How Does SOC Work?
Quality, uniformity, and accountability
SOC uses three different processes to develop or revise a technical standard, ranging from more complex and time-consuming projects to small clarification edits.
Why is SOC Important?
Broad participation results in better implementation
Watch this video to hear from agencies and users of the standards about why Wisconsin's process for revising technical standards is important to implementation success.
Many federal, state, and local agencies rely on the same technical or practice standards to implement statewide conservation programs.
However, this diverse group must deal with different mandates, goals, policies, deadlines, and political pressures. The Standards Oversight Council (SOC) is charged with working through these inherent challenges and overseeing the process for developing effective technical standards that protect Wisconsin’s natural resources. Through an interagency work planning process, SOC helps focus limited public resources where they are needed most.
The SOC governing body (the "Council") consists of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), UW-Madison Division of Extension, WI Land+Water, and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). SOC work is currently funded by NRCS, DNR, DATCP, and voluntary annual donations from county land conservation departments, with contributions of staff time, expertise, and non-monetary resources from UW-Madison Division of Extension, WI Land+Water, WisDOT, county land conservation department staff, municipal government staff, and private sector technicians.
SOC is a successful example of collaborating agencies and integrating resources to effectively address critical issues that protect our state’s resources.
The Council and our Executive Director oversee the SOC Program Manager, who provides programmatic leadership, coordinates and facilitates the standard work teams, and manages outreach and communication efforts.
Celebrating 25 Years of Collaboration
SOC’s 25th anniversary—and the importance of collaboration—was reinforced by renewing a Memorandum of Agreement in 2020, signed by conservation leaders in Wisconsin including NRCS, DATCP, DNR, UW-Madison Division of Extension, WisDOT, and WI Land+Water.