The main, or central, idea of the passage is Because of Hugh Bennett's efforts, the Soil Conservation Service was established as a permanent federal agency. How does the detail in bold develop the main idea?

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.

The detail in bold develops the main idea by providing specific information about Hugh Bennett's efforts and the outcome of those efforts. It shows that Bennett's advocacy and work with Congress and the president ultimately led to the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service as a permanent federal agency. This detail highlights the significant role Bennett played in achieving this outcome and reinforces the main idea that the agency's establishment was a result of his efforts.

The detail in bold, "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," develops the main idea by indicating the specific actions that Hugh Bennett took in order to establish the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a permanent federal agency. These actions demonstrate his active efforts to gain support for the cause, which ultimately led to the establishment of the SCS.