The Soil Conservation Service In 1933, in response to the failing farms and drought in the Great Plains of the United States, the federal government established the temporary Soil Erosion Service (SES). The SES worked to promote conservation farming techniques that had been shown to prevent and combat soil erosion. While the program achieved some success, its director, Hugh Bennett, felt that more support was warranted. He believed that a permanent government agency was necessary to achieve recovery and to prevent future farming catastrophes. In numerous memos to Congress, he described the damage caused by soil erosion and the importance of conservation farming. He also met with lawmakers to discuss his concerns and even spoke with the president. In 1935, as a result of Bennett's advocacy, Congress established the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), a permanent agency within the United States Department of Agriculture. The SCS was renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service in 1994. What is the main idea of the passage?