Kansas Management Team Meeting Minutes

The following members of the Kansas Management Team (MT) and Astor Boozer, Acting State Conservationist (STC), met on April 22-23, 2008, at the NRCS Conference Center in Salina, Kansas.

• James J. Krueger, Assistant State Conservationist
• Jeffrey L. Gross, Assistant State Conservationist
• Troy J. Munsch, Assistant State Conservationist
• Grace N. McGrath, State Administrative Officer
• Terry M. Conway, State Resource Conservationist
• Curtis R. Janssen, Acting State Conservation Engineer
• James L. McDowell, Acting State Soil Scientist/MO Leader
• Mary D. Shaffer, Public Affairs Specialist
• Karen F. Churchman, Secretary
• Daniel H. Meyerhoff, Assistant State Conservationist, Hays
• Jess F. Crockford, Assistant State Conservationist, Hutchinson
• William M. Gilliam, Assistant State Conservationist, Emporia

Jim Krueger, Chairperson, welcomed everyone.

Astor Boozer, Acting State Conservationist

Farm Bill – Extension signed by President until April 25, 2008. We received an apportionment for the additional week. During the interim, we continue to get conservation on the ground.

State conservationist vacancy announcement closed April 3, 2008. No news on a selection has been received. Astor thanked everyone for the working relationship during this period.

The state conservation engineer vacancy announcement has been posted. The announcement closes May 21, 2008.

Thanked the partners for working with NRCS during these trying times. We all have the same goal of getting conservation on the ground.

Outreach is an area we need to focus on. We need to analyze what groups we are not getting information too.

Conservation Security Program (CSP) information meetings are going on throughout the state.

Greg Foley, Executive Director, State Conservation Commission

Legislative update presented and reviewed Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 budget.

Reviewed the FY 2008 April 1 reallocation of cost-share program funds.

Multi-purpose program - Horse Thief Reservoir ground breaking was April 19, 2008.

Added some new practices for FY 2009 for Water Resources and Non-Point Source programs.

• Residue Management No Till Code 329A
• Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment Code 380
• Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation Code 650
• Prescribed Grazing Code 528
• Brush Management Code 314
• Closure of Waste Impoundments Code 360
• Composting Facility Code 317
• Animal Mortality Facility Code 316

Pat Lehman, Executive Director, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD)

 January 23, 2008 – Conservation Day at the Capitol. The five areas provided displays for the legislators to view. This year they also provided a lunch to over 400 people. This allowed districts to visit with their legislators.

KACD Web site – A calendar of events has been added.

May 14, 2008, is the next KACD board meeting at Burlington.

NACD is holding an executive directors' retreat in Wyoming May 15-17, 2008.

The KACD/SCC Joint meeting will be in Area 2, Dodge City, August 3-4, 2008.

The KACD Fall Workshops have been scheduled:

• August 5 – Area 2 – Garden City
• August 6 – Area 1 – To be announced (TBA)
• August 7 – Area 3 – TBA
• August 12 – Area 4 – TBA
• August 13 – Area 5 – TBA

Planning for the State Fair will begin in the next few weeks.

Tracy Streeter, Director, Kansas Water Office

State Legislation Topics

• CREP
• Conservation Easements
• Budget
  • Transfer of $9.9 M to groundwater for U Ark River project
  • Reservoir sustainability resolutions
• Republican River Compact Funds
• Eminent Domain
• New fees proposed for M & I water users

Congressional Activity

• Reservoir Operations and Deauthorization
• Sediment Research and Monitoring
• John Redmond Reservoir Pool Level Increase
• Wilson Reservoir Reallocation
• Kanopolis Reservoir Reallocation
• Streambank Assessment and Stabilization

Kansas Water Plan

• Kansas Water Authority Strategic Plan
  • Reservoir Sedimentation
  • Surface Water Management
  • PWS Demand Management
  • Effects of Climate Change
  • Reduce Consumptive Use of Ogallala through Diversification
• Policy Development
  • Surface Water Management
    • Change Reservoir Management
    • Expand Assurance District Membership
  • Stream Corridor and Wetland Management Above Reservoirs

Monty Breneman, District Conservationist, Lincoln

Monty gave a very interesting presentation on the Smoky Hills Wind Project in Lincoln County.

Documents on this page require Microsoft PowerPoint.

Smoky Hills Wind Project (654 KB)

Jim Krueger, Assistant State Conservationist for Operations

Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Operations Management Review – This review process will use a state self-assessment as part of an evaluation of agency key risks identified by NRCS leadership. The assessment consists of questions for each of the 12 key risks identified for evaluation in FY 2008.

MT members have been assigned parts of the assessment to complete. Updating the Business Plan should be done also. Use blue or red font color for self-assessment. This assessment is on SharePoint. ACTION ITEM: This needs to be completed by May 14, 2008.

 Key Risk – Program Contract Management Workload at the Field Level. ACTION ITEM: Item 2 – The assistant state conservationists for field operations (ASTCs-FO) will complete with selected DCs in their areas and complete on line by May 14, 2008.

Kansas Disbursement Rate of Prior Year (PY) Funds was handed out.

Kansas vacancies and proposed positions were discussed. Key positions were identified.

FY 2008 budget was reviewed. Fifty-six percent of the year is completed.

Loren Graff, Natural Resource Specialist

64T and Cost Allocation (76 KB)
Enterprise Data Access, Analysis, and Reporting Strategy (EDAAR) Project (664 KB)

Grace McGrath, State Administrative Officer

FY 2007 Awards Analysis was presented and handed out.

Howard Service Center has moved into their new space.

Three directed reassignment letters were sent to soil scientists for vacancies in Hays and Salina.

Qualifications for the 457 series have been submitted for determinations.

Earth Team hours by areas were distributed.

Reminder – All equipment should be secured in vehicles.

Mary Shaffer, Public Affairs Specialist

Publications in Spanish -- Kansas has done one in Spanish for Limited Resource Farmers and one entitled Who We Are . . . If there is a need, we will translate. We will be putting articles in the Opinion Kansas newspaper. Farm Service Agency and NRCS will be sharing the cost.

A map was handed out on a summary of the uses of Conservation Editions.

The National Audubon Society has issued "Guide for a Healthy Yard and Beyond" in Spanish and English.

David Kraft, Rangeland Management Specialist

The prescribed burning policy was issued in the General Manual Title 190, Part 413. This was reviewed and handed out.

Jim McDowell, Technical Soil Scientist and Dean Krehbiel, Resource Conservationist

The Corps of Engineers (COE) has recently authorized General Permit (GP)-40 in Kansas. There are nine NRCS practices, which fall under GP-40. To be eligible for GP-40, the COE and NRCS identified numerous criteria with each practice listed. Stream mitigation is included with two practices.

GP-40 has been fully implemented and the COE is utilizing it tremendously. This has expedited the permitting process and jurisdictional calls according to the COE.

NRCS has the responsibility under our own policies, programs, and NEPA to adhere to numerous environmental laws, acts, executive orders, policies, and regulations.

It is recommended that the NRCS and COE form an inter-disciplinary team to provide a six-hour training to all NRCS personnel responsible for assisting landowners with NRCS funded projects (federal actions) that affect jurisdictional waters (Clean Water Act [CWA], Section 404). This will expedite the permit process by reducing the amount of time the COE is involved in communication with NRCS personnel. This training was approved. Ken Kuiper is the state office contact.

Curtis Janssen, Acting State Conservation Engineer

• Stream Stabilization Issues – Continue with SCC
• Field Review on Stream Stabilization Issues - Phil Balch, Harold Blume, local engineer, and field office personnel. Programs, Water Resources, Engineering Staffs will be represented.
• National Bulletin 450.8.7 – Spot Checking Policy Concerning Completed Conservation Practice Installation. This FY we will spot check management units.
• A&E Five-Year Agreement for Engineering of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Practices – Consensus to continue this agreement.
• Engineering Assistance to Watershed Districts – Discussion was held on providing conservation technical assistance (CTA) to watershed districts to design repairs to watershed structures from the FY 2007 floods. DECISION: It was concurred that we will not be able to complete these designs since we do not have any EWP funds, and we will not use CTA funds.

Programs Staff Update

Presenter - Jon Ungerer
Contract Reviews/Audits and Program Contracts System (ProTracts) Work Tools (1.2 MB)

Presenter - Gaye Benfer
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification (1.5 MB)

Water Resources Update
Paul Gallagher – Technical Service Provider (TSP)

Paul is the new TSP for Kansas effective February 4, 2008. Lonnie Schulze, NRCS retiree, is still providing assistance with TSPs.

Two problems:

• Payment to Participants – Individuals or entity must be certified as a TSP by NRCS before providing technical assistance to participants.
  • Proposed Resolution – NRCS will reimburse a participant for technical assistance provided by a TSP if
    • Individual or entity is listed as a certified TSP (for that practice in TechReg at the time the participant hires them.
    • At the time participant submits invoices for technical services, that individual or entity which provided those services must be listed as a certified TSP (for those services) in TechReg.
    • The technical assistance provided meets NRCS standards and specifications.
  • Spot Checks – Keeping track of TSPs – Need a way to efficiently keep track of TSPs - Quality Assurance Plan (QAP)
    • Proposed Resolution – Continue to follow QAP policy. DECISION: This will be presented at the Area Specialists Meeting. The ASTCs-FO will discuss with the applicable staffs.

Lynn Thurlow - Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

The State Office Easement Program Team is working on 2008 applications. A list of 2008 WRP applications was handed out. Title searches have been ordered and several field visits have been completed. There are two applications that need additional application information submitted before the Easement Team will proceed with them.

The WRP ranking worksheet has been revised slightly to provide for different signatures. The district conservationist and ASTC-FO will no longer be signing the ranking worksheet. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Fish and Wildlife Service, and conservation district will have signature lines on the ranking worksheet.

Compatible use authorization (CUA) requests were briefly discussed. CUAs are to be submitted to the state office through the area offices. Area offices need to review the CUA requests and make sure all required items are present, and the form is properly filled out before forwarding to the state office.

Jeff Gross discussed the need for field and area office staff to encourage and promote the WRP in their counties. With the new team, virtually all of the field office workload associated with acquiring and restoring the easements has been removed.

Mary Shaffer – Information campaign for Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and WRP. Packets have been prepared for distribution to the field. A fact sheet on WRP has been put on the Kansas Web site.

Conservation – Our Purpose, Our Campaign posters – Can be ordered from Land Care.

The Action Register was reviewed.

Closing comments by Astor.

The next MT Meeting will be June 17-19, 2008, at the NRCS Conference Center in Salina.

Meeting adjourned.

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Last Modified: 05/02/2008