P03 1115748 Attachment A - Final.pdf

May 2023

Attachment A

Conservation Plan Technical Requirements

Definition A Conservation Plan addresses a limited number of resource concerns - or even a single resource concern – and consequently may not achieve a resource management system (RMS) level of treatment.

Applicable Land Uses A conservation plan is applicable to any NRCS recognized land use.

REQUIREMENTS

General Requirements Conservation Planning involves providing a conservation plan to document participant objectives, benchmark (current) conditions, resource concerns, alternative actions, the evaluation of alternative actions, and the participant’s preferred alternative with the intent to achieve specific ecological, economic and management objectives.

This activity will meet the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) planning criteria for one or more of the plant, animal, water, air, energy, and soil resource concerns. The overall conservation plan must accomplish one or more purposes as described in the criteria and considerations for each conservation practice, as described in the conservation planning process as outlined in the NRCS National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH), steps 1-7. A summary of those seven steps is provided in Appendix A, Conservation Plan General Requirements, at the end of this document. Do not overlook the General Requirements – they are important for the conservation plan’s development.

State-specific conservation planning reference information and technology is provided in the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). The FOTG home page hyperlink is:

https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/

Technical Requirements The Conservation Planner must:

1) Arrange a pre-work meeting, as determined necessary by the DC, between participant, Conservation Planner, and NRCS field office to establish collaboration and address any questions among the parties.

2) Maintains a written and date-ordered record of discussions (conservation 6 notes) with the participant that are related to the conservation plan.

3) Conducts an on-site inventory of participant’s planning area to inventory the current land uses and land management systems in the operation.

4) Uses NRCS-approved technology tools, assessment tools, and protocols to assess resource concerns, as indicated in the state’s FOTG, Section 3 or alternatively, the IRA CART Assessment Tool, which has been streamlined for IRA EQIP related conservation planning. IRA CSP will require specific resource concerns to be addressed for each land use. These documents and related resource concerns may change between federal fiscal years.

https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/%23/

May 2023 Natural Resource Conservation Service nrcs.usda.gov

5) Develops a minimum of one conservation alternative to meet the resource needs, participant’s objective(s), and adequately addresses the NRCS-recognized Resource Concern(s) that participant chooses to address. Contrast this alternative with the no-action alternative (what is predicted to happen if no action is taken). The list of Resource Concerns appears in the state’s FOTG, Section 3. However, not all Resource Concerns may be relative to IRA funding.

It is desirable to direct assessment of Resource Concerns that treat practices available for IRA funding.

6) Include an evaluation of the alternative’s effects on the participant’s land use, indicated resource concern(s) on site, capital, labor, management, risk, profitability, and public health and safety (complete CPA-52).

7) Include considerations to avoid or mitigate any adverse effects on unique resources and other soil, water, air, plants, animals (including livestock, fish, and wildlife), energy, or human concerns, as well as on special environmental considerations.

8) Collect and evaluate data on special environmental concerns, such as wetlands, endangered species, or cultural/historic sites on and near the planning area. NRCS needs this information to understand the effects implementing the conservation practices will have on the environment; and will use this information to complete an environmental evaluation (CPA-52).

9) Present and explain technically feasible conservation alternatives to the participant and obtain the participant’s decision about what conservation practices to use, the practice location(s), and the schedule to guide sequential installation of conservation practices.

10) Produces conservation plan products (plan schedule, maps, implementation requirements, and other useful supporting material) based on decisions reached in the previous item and in the Deliverables section of this document.

DELIVERABLES

The Conservation Planner must provide documentation showing all the tasks indicated in the General Requirements section, the Technical Requirements section, and the following sections:

Cover Page

The cover page option from CART must be checked and include the following:

1) Conservation Planner Name

2) Office location

3) Phone number

4) E-mail

5) Date

Resource Inventory and Assessment Documentation Results from NRCS-approved resource assessment technology tools that are appropriate for the resource conservation needs and participant objectives to compare the benchmark condition with the planned alternative condition, including as applicable:

1. Any additional assessments, maps, and sketches resulting from the planning process used in preparation and arriving at the alternative selected.

2. Any photographs or documentation used to support the determination documented.

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3. Document the effects of each Alternative on CPA-52.

4. Considerations to avoid or mitigate any adverse effects on unique resources and other soil, water, air, plants, animals (including livestock, fish, and wildlife), energy, or human concerns, as well as on special environmental considerations on CPA-52.

5. An evaluation of the alternative’s effects on the participant’s land use, capital, labor, management, risk, profitability, and public health and safety on CPA-52.

Notes and Correspondence

1) Provide Conservation 6 notes, in date-order that:

a) Document the participant objectives, which should also be documented on the Conservation Plan.

b) Document each interaction with the participant, results of that interaction, and the date of the interaction.

c) Document each site visit, those present, the activity completed in the field, and results of each site visit.

d) Provide initials of the note-maker.

2) Provide information provided to support the participant’s understanding of the planned conservation practices (documented on Conservation-6 notes or emails).

3) Provide copies of correspondence between the Conservation Planner and the participant relating to decision- making and completion of this conservation plan on Conservation 6 notes. For example, description of alternatives presented for evaluation and decision-making.

Maps Maps for the conservation plan must include, but are not limited to:

1) General location map of the planning area showing access roads to the location.

2) A Conservation Plan Map (this may consist of several maps to account for the entire planning area). This map will specifically include:

a) Boundary lines for the Planning Land Units (PLUs) labeled with tract and field number. A

PLU is a unique geographic area, defined by a polygon, which has common land use and is owned, operated, or managed by the same participant or participants. The PLU is the minimum unit for planning.

b) Acreage for each PLU must be included on label.

c) Land-use designation must be labeled. The NRCS-recognized land use names and land use modifiers are listed in the National Planning Procedures Handbook, Definitions section. (Handbook 180, Part 600.2) Here is a link to the National Planning Procedures Handbook: https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=44407

d) Location of sensitive resources and setbacks, if applicable.

e) Locations of planned and applied conservation practices.

f) If the planning area includes nonprivate lands, such as Federal or Tribal lands, a land status map must be included to display land ownership categories (Private, State Trust, BLM, Tribal, and Territorial, etc.).

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=44407

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3) Soil interpretative map(s) and other natural resource maps used to support the planning activity.

4) All maps developed for the conservation plan will include:

a) Map title.

b) Participant’s name.

c) Assisted By [Conservation Planner’s name].

d) Name of applicable conservation district, county, and State.

e) Date prepared.

f) Map scale.

g) Information needed to locate the planning area, such as section, township & range, geographic coordinates, public land survey coordinates, etc.

h) North arrow.

i) Appropriate map symbols and a map symbol legend on the map or as an attachment.

j) Location (Farm & Tract numbers)

k) Approximate acres

l) Service Center/Office Location

m) Agency

n) Labels for each planned practice with the following information:

• Tract

• Field

• Contract Identification Number (CIN)

• Practice

• Total Planned Amount

• Planned Date

Conservation Plan A record of the participant’s decision, generated from Conservation Desktop which includes:

1) A table, titled “Practice Schedule” indicating all the following:

a) Tract Number to have practice(s) installed.

b) PLU (Field) number to have practice(s) installed.

c) Practice Code and Practice Name (Codes and Names are used for conservation practices, conservation activities, enhancements, and bundles) to be implemented.

d) Estimated Amount of each practice to be implemented, and the practice’s measurement units

(ft, ac, etc).

e) Dates (month and year) the conservation activities are intended to be installed.

The Conservation Plan is used in conjunction with a conservation plan map to document the participant’s decision and vision for conservation implementation. Table 1 provides an example schedule of practices within a conservation plan.

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Table 1. Example Practice Schedule

Tract Number

PLU (Field) # Practice Code

Practice Name Planned Amt Practice Units

Planned Date

1000 3, 5, 7 340 Cover Crop 75 Ac. September 2022 1000 9, 11 600 Terrace 3,000 Ft. May 2023 1000 9, 11 638 Water and Sediment

Control Basin 2 No. May 2023

2) Brief descriptions of the planned conservation practices to explain their use in the context of this plan. For example, “Cover Crop - Plant grasses, legumes, or forbs for seasonal vegetative cover to protect or improve natural resources.”

Deliver Completed Work The Conservation Planner must:

1) Prepare and provide their participant two sets of the items listed in Deliverables.

a) One set is for the participant to keep.

b) The other set is for sharing with the local NRCS Office.

c) The Conservation Planner may transmit a set of the Deliverables to the local NRCS Office, if their participant has authorized it. It is recommended to provide NRCS field office an opportunity to review the conservation plan deliverables, prior to asking for its acceptance.

• NRCS will also sign off on the deliverables upon delivery.

2) Upload electronic copies of all the items listed under the Deliverables heading on NRCS Registry.

References USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Field Office Technical Guide.

https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Environmental Compliance Handbook.

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=39467 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Planning Procedures Handbook.

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=44407

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Resource Concern List and Planning Criteria. https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=45675 https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/%23/ https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=39467 https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=45675

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Appendix A - Conservation Plan General Requirements Overview The Conservation Planner is expected to complete conservation planning steps 1 through portions of 7 of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) 9 step conservation planning process, as outlined in the NRCS National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH). Those steps are described below. The NPPH may be consulted for more detailed descriptions of the steps. NPPH is located at the following link: https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/viewerFS.aspx?hid=44407.

Identify Problems and Opportunities (Step 1) Visit with the participant to identify and document existing, potential, and perceived natural resource problems, opportunities, and concerns in the planning area. The identified problems and opportunities as well as the participant objectives guide the remainder of the planning process and are the basis for the purpose and need for action that are documented in NRCS Environmental Evaluation. This will include items such as soils, ecological sites or forage suitability groups, where applicable, and discuss opportunities to maintain and/or enhance resource conditions.

Determine Objectives (Step 2) Determine the participant’s planning objectives by developing an understanding with the participant of the desired future condition for the planning area, as compared to the existing conditions. This is the purpose for the participant to take action. It includes the desired resource uses, resource problem reductions, onsite and offsite ecological protection, and production concerns. As resources are inventoried, their interactions are analyzed, and alternatives formulated, objectives may need to be reviewed and modified.

Inventory Resources (Step 3) The resource inventory documents benchmark (current) conditions of natural resources in the conservation planning area. The inventory documentation requirements and resource concerns to be evaluated specifically for each conservation plan are provided in the conservation plan’s TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS section. Use NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) Sections 1 and 2, plus Web Soil Survey (WSS) and other helpful resources to support the inventory as applicable. In addition, each conservation plan requires the following inventory documentation as applicable:

1) General description of the enterprise/operation (documented on Conservation 6 notes or

Conservation Plan),

2) Document any previously installed or implemented conservation practice(s) and indicate whether the existing practice(s) is currently accomplishing the conservation practice purpose indicated in the NRCS conservation practice standard in the state’s FOTG, Section 4,

3) Equipment, technology, and management activities currently being used by the participant,

4) Soils, climate, topography,

5) Environmentally sensitive areas in and around the planning area- for example riparian areas, cultural resources and historic properties, habitat for rare or protected species, and wetlands,

6) Necessary planning information such as irrigation history, cropping history, water rights, etc.

7) Pertinent Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws, regulations, policies, and their associate permit requirements.

8) Identification of existing conditions through a resource inventory.

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9) After the prior steps, identity if/what you have learned about other relevant soil, water, air, plant and animal resource concerns.

10) Provide a landscape setting description explaining how surrounding management affects the property as well as how the participant’s actions impact their neighbors. Consider aesthetic quality, privacy, wildlife movement and habitat, noxious weeds, urban encroachment, wildland fire interface, if applicable.

Analyze Resource Data (Step 4) Run applicable resource assessment tools and compare the current (benchmark) conditions with the desired future conditions to identify resource concerns that need to be addressed. Analyses and documentation requirements are provided in the Technical Requirements and Deliverables sections.

Analyses documentation will include at a minimum:

1) Benchmark conditions,

2) Results of assessment tools (as applicable), and

3) The need for conservation actions, in terms of a desired future condition,

4) NRCS resource concerns identified.

Formulate Alternatives (Step 5) Develop a minimum of two alternatives. The first is a no-action alternative in which current management activities are assumed to continue. The second is an action alternative identifying a conservation practice or a system of conservation practices and management activities to address the identified resource concern(s). Additional action alternatives may be developed to identify different ways of achieving participant objectives. Each action alternative must meet the participant’s objectives and comply with Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

Evaluate Alternatives (Step 6) Evaluate the alternatives and describe the natural resource, environmental and socio-economic effects associated with each alternative. Review with NRCS and the participant the analysis of the resource inventory and the evaluation of alternatives. This information will provide the participant with information needed to select their preferred alternative.

When evaluating the no-action alternative, provide information to the participant about what will occur if current management activities continue, and no new practices are implemented.

When evaluating conservation practice effects, the short and long-term effect on natural resources and the applicability and effect on special environmental concerns identified in Step-3 (Resource Inventory) must be documented. Include recommendations that will avoid or mitigate any adverse effects on soil, water, air, plants, animals (including livestock, fish, and wildlife), energy, or socio-economic concerns, as well as on special environmental concerns.

Prepare the following documentation, at a minimum:

1) Documentation of alternatives discussed and site level resource inventory and assessment data, and analysis used to formulate management alternatives.

2) Considerations to avoid or mitigate any adverse effects on those unique resources and other soil, water, air, plants, animals (including livestock, fish, and wildlife), energy, or human concerns, as well as on special environmental considerations.

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3) An evaluation of the alternative’s effects on the participant’s land use, capital, labor, management, risk, profitability, and public health and safety.

Make Decisions (Step 7) Document the participant’s preferred alternative as a decision via a Conservation Plan Map, Conservation Plan, CPA-52, and in the Conservation 6 notes.