Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Aubrey Bettencourt has resigned from the agency, according to a letter sent to staff as reported by Agri-Pulse. Colton Buckley, NRCS associate chief, will assume the role of chief.
Bettencourt’s departure comes as the Agriculture Department remains under criticism for understaffed NRCS field offices across the U.S. after mass resignations and layoffs throughout the federal government last year. NRCS continues to maintain field offices in many counties and administers a variety of voluntary, incentive-based farmer-facing programs including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, among others.
Bettencourt will step “into a new role of service,” according to her letter of resignation. Agripulse reports that position will likely be at the Department of the Interior. Acting chief Buckley joined NRCS in March 2025 as chief of staff and was promoted to associate chief in November. Earlier, he was CEO of the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils and was a senior strategy manager at Turning Point USA, a conservative political organization founded by Charlie Kirk.