United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Economics Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content



1986 Draft National Economics Handbook

Updated 05/25/2005

This web site contains the entire 1986 Draft National Economics Handbook.  The official National Economics Handbook is still in the publication process.

Some of the following documents are available in Adobe Acrobat.

The completed and official parts of the NRCS Economics Handbook include
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 611 NRCS National Water Resources Handbook for Economics
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 612 NRCS National Resource Economics Handbook, Water Quality



There is also the 1995 draft of Part 610 of the NRCS National Economic Handbook.

Below is the basic Table of Contents for the draft, followed by the longer Detailed Table of Contents.

 
Economic Handbook Part 1, Economics of Conservation Handbook, July 1986
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 1:  Introduction (810 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 2:  Basic Considerations and Economic Principles (537 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 3:  Time and Money (1.68 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 4:  Section V, Technical Guide (1.09 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 5:  Evaluation Techniques for the Field (2.06 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix A - Example Problems (2.25 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix B - Interest and Annuity Tables (2.35 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix C - Glossary (963 KB)

 

Economics Handbook Part 2, For Water Resources, September, 1986
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 620:  Economic Analysis (4.49 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentIntroduction and Contents (431 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart A - Framework and Standards (1.10 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart B - Application of Economic Analysis in Project Formulation (511 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart C - Prices and Yields (349 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart D - Annual Equivalents (621 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart E - Interest and Annuity (1.77 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 621:  Agriculture (7.65 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart A - Floodwater (3.81 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart B- Drainage (521 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart C - Irrigation (1.47 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart D - Erosion and Sediment (1.66 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 622:  Watershed Protection (566 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 623:  Urban Flood Damage (1.42 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 624:  Recreation (1.15 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 625:  Municipal and Industrial Water Supply (379 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 626:  Other Direct Benefits (207 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 627:  Employment Benefits (123 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 628:  Regional Benefits (130 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 629:  Land Easements and Rights-Of-Way-Cost (750 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 630:  Costs (327 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPart 631:  Cost Allocation (772 KB)

 

Detailed Table of Contents
Adobe Acrobat documentEconomic Handbook Part 1, Economics of Conservation Handbook, July, 1986 (792 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 1:  Introduction (810 KB)
A.  Benefits of Conservation
B.  Costs of Conservation
C.  How the Overall Agricultural Environment Affects Conservation Purchases
D.  Economics and the Planning Process
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 2:  Basic Considerations and Economic Principles (537 KB)
A.  Future Conditions
B.  Decision Making Without and With Conservatin
C.  Levels of Detail
D.  Period of Analysis or Planning Horizon
E.  Least Costly Alternative
F.  Maximization of Net Income (Profit)
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 3:  Time and Money (1.68 MB)
A.  The Time Value of Money and Opportunity Cost
B.  Simple and Compound Interest
C.  One-Time Values, Annual Flows (Annuities), and Lags
D.  Average Annual Equivalents
E.  Interest and Annuity (I&A) Tables
F.  Amortization Key
Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 4:  Section V, Technical Guide (1.09 MB)
A.  Section V-A, Information On Cost and Prices
  • Contents
  • Sources of Data

    • B.  Section V-B, Response Data
  • Contents
  • Sources of Data

    • C.  Section V-C, Cost and Return Estimates
  • Contents

  • Sources of Data

  • Preparation of Use

    		•
    Adobe Acrobat documentChapter 5:  Evaluation Techniques for the Field (2.06 MB)
    A.  Flat Rate Schedule
    B.  Cost Analysis
    C.  Partial Budgeting
    D.  Break-even Analysis
    E.  Alternative Resource Management System
    F.  Interactive Conservation Evaluation (ICE)
    Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix A - Example Problems (2.25 MB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix B - Interest and Annuity Tables (2.35 MB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentAppendix C - Glossary (963 KB)
    Economics Handbook Part 2, For Water Resources, September, 1986 (1.18 MB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 620 : ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (4.49 MB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentIntroduction and Contents (431 KB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart A- Framework and Standards (1.10 MB)
    620.00 Objective.
    620.01 Planning water resource projects.
    620.02 Evaluation standards.
     Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart B - Application of Economic Analysis in Project Formulation (511 KB)
    620.10 Introduction.
    620.11 Legal constraints
    620.12 Economics of project formulation
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart C - Prices and Yields (349 KB)
    620.20 Introduction.
    620.21 Conceptual bases.
    620.22 Agricultural prices.
    620.23 Price for pasture.
    620.24 Crop yields.
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart D- Annual Equivalents (621 KB)
    620.30 Introduction.
    620.31 Method 1 - Worksheet.
    620.32 Method 2- PVCSTBEN.
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart E - Interest and Annuity (1.77 MB)
    620.40 Introduction.
    620.41 Definitions.
    620.42 Discounting for lag in accrual of benefits.
    620.43 Significant digits.
    620.44 Example interest problems.
    620.45 Benefit lag examples.
    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 621 : Agriculture (7.65 MB)
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart A- Floodwater (3.81 MB)
    621.00 Introduction.
    621.01 Considerations in damage appraisal.
    621.02 Frequency method.
    621.Q3 Steps in damage appraisal.
    621.04 Damage reduction.
    621.05 Intensification.
    621.06 Historical series method.
    621.07 Net income method.
    621.08 Agriculture computer programs.
     
    Adobe Acrobat document Subpart B - Drainage (521 KB)
    621.10 Introduction.
    621.11 Drainage benefits.
    621.12 Evaluation units and incremental analysis.
    621.13 Productivity.
    621.14 Determining economic effects.
    621.15 Reporting economic effects.
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart C- Irrigation (1.47 MB)
    621.20 Introduction.
    621.21 Irrigation terminology.
    621.22 Planning setting.
    621.23 Basic data.
    621.24 Evaluation units.
    621.25 Incremental analysis.
    621.26 Changes in crop production inputs.
    621.27 OM&R costs of with-project condition.
    621.28 Reporting benefits.
    621.29 Evaluating irrigation system failure--example procedures.
    Adobe Acrobat documentSubpart D - Erosion and Sediment (1.66 MB)
    621.30 Introduction.
    621.31 Types of damage.
    621.32 Method of evaluating land damage.
    621.33 Evaluating damage to improvements from gully and stream erosion.
    621.34 Evaluation sediment damage to railroads and highways.
    621.35 Evaluating sediment damage to municipal and industrial water supplies.
    621.36 Evaluating sediment damage to agricultural machinery.
    621.37 Evaluating sediment damage affecting product quality.
    621.38 Evaluating sediment damage to existing drainage and irrigation
    facilities.
    621.39 Evaluating reservoir sedimentation.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 622 : Watershed Protection (566 KB)
    622.00 Introduction.
    622.01 Incremental analysis of land treatment.
    622.02 Procedures for incremental analysis.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 623 : Urban Flood Damage  (1.42 MB)
    623.00 Introduction.
    623.01 Planning.
    623.02 Damage factors.
    633.03 Income losses and emergency costs.
    623.04 Commercial and industrial.
    623.05 Transportation.
    623.06 Other damageable values.
    623.07 Benefit evaluation.
    623.08 Computer program.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 624 : Recreation (1.15 MB)
    624.00 Introduction.
    634.01 Definition of concepts.
    624.02 Planning.
    624.03 Evaluation methods.
    624.04 Recreation evaluation procedures.
    624.05 Basic data.
    624.06 Estimating recreation value by the Unit Day Value method.
    624.07 Incremental analysis.
    624.08 Reporting benefits.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 625 : Municipal and Industrial Water Supply  (379 KB)
    625.00 Introduction.
    625.01 Evaluation responsibilities.
    625.02 SCS analysis.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 626 : Other Direct Benefits  (207 KB)
    626.00 Introduction.
    626.01 Planning.
    626.02 Evaluation procedure.
    626.03 1,imitations on use.
    626.04 Problems in application.
    626.05 Reporting procedure.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 627 : Employment Benefits (123 KB)
    627.00 Introduction.
    627.01 Background.
    627.02 Evaluation procedure.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 628 : Regional Benefits (130 KB)
    628.00 Introduction.
    628.01 Regional benefits.
    628.02 Regional cost.
    628.03 Regional employment benefits.
    628.04 Regional employment costs.
    628.05 Relationship between NED and RED effects.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 629 : Land and Easements and Rights-of-Way Costs  (750 KB)
    629.10 Introduction.
    629.11 Landrights.
    629.02 Methods of estimating values.
    629.03 Economic evaluation.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 630 : Costs (327 KB)
    630.00 Introduction.
    630.01 Project costs.
    630.02 Associated costs.

    Adobe Acrobat documentPART 631 : Cost Allocation (772 KB)
    631.00 Introduction.
    631.01 Definition of terms.
    631.02 Cost allocation methods.