NRI collects data on natural resources, soil and water conservation practices, irrigation, and many other farming practices so we can not only know what has happened, but also evaluate trends and help policymakers guide future efforts. For 35 years, NRCS has been collecting information on the status and condition of land, soil, water, and related resources on the Nation’s non-federal lands. The data is held in the NRI, an NRCS database program that samples points in 49 States (excludes Alaska), Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to assess resource quantity and quality. By sampling the same points for the same data over many years, NRCS has created a long-term data set for everyone to use.