South Dakota Resource Conservationist Awarded the Hugh Hammond Bennett National Planner Award for Conservation Excellence

Shane Jordan, Resource Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Clark, South Dakota, has been named the national winner of the Conservation Planner 2025 Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence for his outstanding conservation efforts.

Shane's passion for natural resources began on his family's 2,500-acre corn and soybean farm in the Loess Hills of West-Central Iowa. Growing up, he managed a 25-head flock of sheep, worked with a 50-head cow herd, and helped operate a 20-acre tree farm selling Christmas trees and live spaded conifer trees. Shane's grandparents cultivated a five-acre garden where they grew potatoes for the family and raised approximately 50 dual-purpose breeds of chickens. Hours spent hiking, camping, and harvesting native berries in the Loess Hills shaped his deep commitment to conservation.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Range Management from South Dakota State University, Shane gained diverse experience as a Riparian Coordinator with USDA/AmeriCorps and worked for the McKenzie County Grazing Association /U.S. Forest Service in Watford City, ND conducting woody draw assessments on the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Shane also served as the Lake Byron/Ravine Lake Watershed Coordinator where he implemented CMP with private landowners throughout the watershed area. In 1996, he joined NRCS as a Range Conservationist in Faulkton, South Dakota.

Shane served as District Conservationist in the Redfield NRCS Field Office for 23 years, with the last eight years covering both Spink and Clark Counties. When he arrived in Redfield, participation in USDA/NRCS programs was minimal. By building strong relationships with growers and the Spink County Conservation District, Shane transformed conservation engagement in the county. His focus on technically sound conservation planning led to explosive growth in program participation in CRP, WHIP, EQIP, WRP, and CSP eventually leading to the management of over 250 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts, their cornerstone program.

In 2015, after meeting soil health pioneer Gabe Brown, Shane launched the Soil Health Summer Bus Tour in partnership with the Spink County Conservation District. The tour connected area producers with experienced farmers implementing the five core soil health principles. The initiative evolved into winter sessions featuring nationally known soil health experts, including Gabe Brown, Jason Mauch, Dr. Jon Lundgren, Ray Archuleta, and others.

In 2020, Shane accepted a position as Resource Conservationist on the Brookings Area Ecology Team, specializing in soil health, saline/sodic soils, conservation planning, and urban agriculture.He provides technical support to Service Center staff and works directly with farmers and ranchers to help advance their conservation goals.

Producers Jamie and Brian Johnson said, "For nearly 30 years, Shane has been an invaluable resource to our farm. His knowledge and dedication to conservation are reflected in the land he's helped improve and the many families who have benefited from working with him. Many of our conservation efforts began with a simple conversation and a shared vision that Shane helped turn into a practical, lasting plan."

Shane also created a monthly newsletter called "The Journey to a Soil Health System," providing technical information on ecological processes, soils health principals, and regenerative agriculture across cropland, grasslands, and urban spaces. His greatest achievement has been changing producer mindsets through education and relationship-building. His work exemplifies NRCS's foundation of offering technically sound conservation planning that identifies resource concerns and creates lasting change on the land.

Producer Jeff Hamilton said, "Shane has a very good understanding of needing to look at conservation from a systems approach versus individual practices. He proved helpful in assisting in my initial steps of applying composts and extracts. I value his viewpoint and believe his heart is truly in conservation. Even at the end of his career, he is still willing to learn, which isn't always common."

The Hugh Hammond Bennett Award is named in memory of soil conservation pioneer Hugh Hammond Bennett, the first Chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS), who led nationwide efforts to raise awareness about the critical importance of soil conservation and to help farmers recover after the Dust Bowl. Bennett believed that real and lasting change on the land comes from developing and following a conservation plan designed to meet the unique needs of that land based on available resources, natural resource concerns, and producer goals.

NCPP was formed in 2015 to emphasize the critical role that conservation planning plays in advancing voluntary conservation efforts on private lands. NCPP consists of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Conservation Agencies, National Conservation District Employees Association, and National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils. For more information about the NCPP, visit https://www.ncpp.info.

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