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Kansas Technical Committee Minutes - August 2007

Kansas Technical Committee (KTC) Meeting
Thursday, August 16, 2007
10:00 a.m.
NRCS Conference Center
747 Duval - Salina, Kansas

Harold L. Klaege, State Conservationist (STC), NRCS, gave the welcome to participants, introductions, and called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

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Adobe Acrobat DocumentMeeting Sign Up Sheets (450 KB)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Clinton J. Evans, Resource Conservationist, reviewed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 WHIP Kansas accomplishments, and the FY 2008 WHIP wildlife priorities, ranking criteria, and eligible practice list recommendations developed with the assistance of the KTC WHIP subcommittee. An example of the FY 2008 payment schedule was also reviewed.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentFY 2007 WHIP Kansas Accomplishments (250 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentExample FY 2008 Payment Schedule (247 KB)

WHIP Wildlife Priorities

The KTC WHIP subcommittee (hereafter referred to as the subcommittee) recommended state wildlife priorities for FY 2008:

  1. Grassland birds with emphasis on bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasant and prairie chicken (lesser and greater).
  2. Threatened and endangered (T&E) species and species in need of conservation (SINC).
  3. Natural communities to include prairies, wetlands and riparian areas.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

WHIP Ranking Criteria

The subcommittee recommended that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Application acres that include a native grass seeding or an existing stand of native grass
    1. Greater than or equal to 80 acres
    2. 20 to 79 acres
    3. Less than or equal to 20 acres
  2. Add a requirement to include prescribed burning in the wildlife habitat development plan (WHDP) in the essential habitat areas for lesser and greater prairie chicken.
  3. Add Green Ash as a priority species when evaluating woody species infestation levels on WHDP acres.

There was discussion about including Mulberry and Tamarisk as priority woody species. The present list of priority woody species includes: Eastern red cedar, Locust, Osage orange, Post oak, Russian olive and Siberian elm. Further discussion concluded that the priority species list should be removed and the program should target all woody species with invasive potential.

The KTC supported these recommendations.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

WHIP Eligible Practice List

The subcommittee recommended the following changes from FY 2007 WHIP eligible practice list:

  1. Add Forest Stand Improvement, practice code 666, in the Eastern third of Kansas.
  2. Add Dike, practice code 356. This practice can be used as a supporting practice for wetland practices that require earth fill.

The KTC supported these recommendations.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

WHIP Payment Percentage

The subcommittee recommended the following change to the WHIP payment percentage:

  • Decrease the payment percentage from 75 percent to 50 percent.

There was discussion concerning the reduction of the payment percentage. The majority of the committee felt the payment percentage should remain at 75 percent.

The KTC did not support the subcommittee's recommendation.

The STC decision followed the KTC recommendation to leave the WHIP payment percentage at 75 percent.

As of October 1, 2007 the WHIP has not been reauthorized.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Gaye L. Benfer, Resource Conservationist, reviewed the FY 2007 EQIP Kansas accomplishments and FY 2008 EQIP Kansas ranking criteria, eligible practices, and funding distribution recommendation developed with the assistance of the EQIP subcommittee.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentFY 2007 EQIP Kansas Accomplishments (68 KB)

The KTC EQIP subcommittee (hereafter referred to as the subcommittee) recommended state priority resource concerns for FY 2008 of:

  • Forestland Health
    • Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor (Forestland)
  • Grazing Lands Health
    • Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor (Rangeland and Pastureland)
    • Plant Condition – Noxious and Invasive Plants
    • Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water
  • Livestock Waste
    • Air Quality – Objectionable Odors
    • Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground and Surface Water
  • Soil Condition –
    • Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion
  • Water Quality –
    • Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground or Surface Water
    • Water Quality – Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Ground or Surface Water
    • Water Quality – Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water
    • Soil Erosion – Stream Bank
  • Water Quantity –
    • Water Quantity – Inefficient Water Use on Irrigated Land
    • Water Quantity – Aquifer Overdraft
    • Water Quantity – Insufficient Flows in Water Courses

Fish and Wildlife – Threatened and Endangered Species; Declining Species; Species of Concern will be considered within each priority concern.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

EQIP Ranking Criteria

Forestland Health – (Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor)

The subcommittee recommended that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Conservation Tree/Shrub Plantings and Windbreak Suitability Groups 1 and 2. (This was a change from FY 2007, which read Class I or II soils.)
  2. Location
    1. Within a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) area for eutrophication, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and/or pesticides
    2. Within 180 feet from a receiving water body
    3. Within an at-risk species habitat area and treatment will assist that species

The KTC supported these recommendations.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Grazing Lands Health – (Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor; Plant Condition – Noxious, Invasive Weeds; Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water)

The subcommittee recommended priorities be given to applications by:

  1. Resource concerns of Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, and Vigor; or Noxious and Invasive Plants
  2. Rest in planned grazing system
  3. Treatment of invasive species
  4. Treatment of at–risk species habitat
    1. Greater than five percent infestation of Eastern red cedar and/or Osage-orange and the conservation plan will benefit lesser or greater prairie chicken. The KTC recommended that this be split into two questions and that the question not be woody species specific.
  5. Brush Management
    1. High priority level per NRCS electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG) Brush Management, practice code 314, standard and specification.

The KTC supported the recommendations of the subcommittee with the addition noted.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Livestock Waste – (Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics In Ground and Surface Water; Air Quality – Objectionable Odors)

The subcommittee recommended that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Location
    1. Within one mile of a population center
    2. Within a TMDL area for ecoli bacteria
    3. Within 180 feet of a receiving water body
    4. Within a Kansas Source Water Assessment Area
    5. Within a Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) Sensitive Groundwater Area
    6. Within an At-Risk Species habitat area
  2. Type of Animal Feeding Operation (AFO)
    1. Existing AFO, not previously treated
    2. Existing AFO, received written notice from Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for insufficient treatment
    3. Existing AFO, improving efficiency
    4. Existing AFO, expansion
    5. New AFO
  3. Other considerations
    1. Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) developed prior to application
    2. Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) includes injection/subsurface application
    3. If irrigated, participant will used approved irrigation scheduling system

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Soil Condition – (Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion)

The subcommittee recommended that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Erodibility
    1. All soils in unit of concern have Erosion Index (EI) > 8
    2. EI > 8 for any soil
  2. Cropping management systems
    1. Positive Soil Conditioning Index (SCI) and Soil Tillage Intensity Rating (STIR) Index less than 10
    2. Positive SCI and STIR < 30
  3. Treatment of At-Risk Species
  4. Other considerations
    1. Three crop types in rotation
    2. Three continuous years of perennial grasses or legumes in rotation
    3. Use of cover crops
    4. Greater than 33.3 percent of application acres planted to native grass

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Water Quality – (Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground or Surface Water; Water Quality – Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Ground or Surface Water; Water Quality – Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water; Soil Erosion – Stream Bank)

The subcommittee recommended that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Location
    1. Within Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 11 watershed than drains directly into a federal reservoir.
    2. Within HUC 8 that drains directly into a federal reservoir
    3. Smoky Hill River HUC 11 from Kanopolis Lake to the Kansas River
    4. KTC recommendation - state priority of federal reservoirs serving public water supplies
    5. TMDL for eutrophication, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and/or pesticides
    6. Kansas Source Water Assessment Area
    7. KGS Sensitive Groundwater Area
    8. Within 180 or 300 feet of a receiving water body or a soil with "frequent" flood frequency
  2. High nitrate leaching potential for predominance of unit
  3. High potential soil loss index for predominance of unit
  4. Leveraging of funds
  5. Treatment of at-risk species
  6. The KTC recommendation - KDHE identified priority TMDL watersheds to meet the Environmental Protection Agency Strategic Plan by 2012.
  7. The KTC recommendation – adjacent applications for stream bank stabilization

KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed this recommendation, with the exception of adding a priority for federal reservoirs serving public water supplies. The recommendation of the KDHE priority watersheds to meet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Strategic Plan will be implemented in all applicable resource concerns including Forestland Health, Livestock Waste, and Water Quantity.

Water Quantity – (Water Quantity – Inefficient Water Use On Irrigated Land; Water Quantity – Aquifer Overdraft)

It was recommended by the subcommittee that priority be given to applications by:

  1. Reduction of current water use by 50 or 35 percent
  2. Conversion to non-irrigated on at least 40 percent of the application acres
    • Acres enrolled in the State of Kansas Water Rights Conservation Program (WRCP)
  3. Increase in irrigation rating
  4. Location
    1. At-Risk Species
    2. Kansas Water Plan Priority Groundwater Decline Area
    3. TMDL for eutrophication, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and/or pesticides
    4. KGS Sensitive Groundwater Area
    5. Kansas Source Water Assessment Area
    6. The KTC recommendation - Proposed Pawnee-Buckner Intensive Groundwater Use Conservation Area

There was discussion about adding priority for those applications that addressed NRCS eFOTG Well Decommissioning, practice code 351, as part of a state Water Transition Assistance Program (WTAP). The NRCS discussed that if the participant had already signed a WTAP contract, they would not be eligible for the EQIP Water Quantity resource concern, because the resource concern would be considered treated.

Priorities for Quick Response Areas (QRAs) was proposed as follows:

  1. Location
    1. Kansas Water Plan Priority Groundwater Decline Area
    2. The KGS Sensitive Groundwater Area
    3. TMDL for eutrophication, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and/or pesticides
    4. Kansas Source Water Assessment Area
    5. At-Risk Species
    6. The KTC recommendation - Proposed Pawnee-Buckner Intensive Groundwater Use Conservation Area
  2. Acres enrolled in the State of Kansas WRCP
  3. Leveraging of funds
  4. Application water usage - Acre-foot/acre use (minimum of six acre-inch/acre average)

The KTC supported these recommendations, with the additions noted.

The STC decision followed this recommendation.

EQIP Eligible Practices

Forestland Health

The subcommittee recommended no changes from FY 2007 eligible practices.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Grazing Lands Health

The subcommittee recommended no changes from FY 2007 eligible practices.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Soil Condition

The subcommittee recommended no changes from FY 2007 eligible practices.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Water Quality (includes Livestock Waste)

The subcommittee recommended no changes from FY 2007, except that the cost-share rate for NRCS eFOTG Streambank and Shoreline Protection, practice code 580, be increased to 70 percent.

KTC recommended the addition of NRCS eFOTG Waste Treatment, practice code 629.

The KTC supported this recommendation.

The STC decision followed this recommendation, with the exception of adding NRCS eFOTG practice code 629.

Water Quantity

The subcommittee recommended no changes from FY 2007 eligible practices.

The KTC supported this recommendation

The STC decision followed the recommendation.

Payment Caps

The following NRCS eFOTG practices were capped in FY 2007:

  • Pond, practice code 378 - $5,000/structure
  • Irrigation System, Microirrigation, practice code 441 - $250/acre
  • Manure Transfer, practice code 634 - $15,000/contract

The limit for incentive practices in FY 2007 was set at $50,000/contract.

The subcommittee recommended the following changes:

  • Manure Transfer, practice code 634 - $30,000/contract
  • Irrigation System, Microirrigation, practice code 441 - $450/acre

There was discussion on the cap for Pond, practice code 378, being higher than the cap set in the WHIP. The NRCS discussed that this was treating a different resource concern than the WHIP.

Discussion was held on the recommendation for practice code 441. There was some concern with this increase in western Kansas where this type of conversion may result in an increase in consumptive use. It was the recommendation of the KTC to leave the limit as is ($250/acre) in the new NRCS administrative area 1 and increase the limit to $450/acre, as recommended by the subcommittee, in the new NRCS administrative areas 2 and 3.

Discussion was held on decreasing the cost-share limit for new livestock waste facilities to 50 percent. The KTC did not recommend this change at this time.

The KTC supported the subcommittee recommendation, with the changes noted.

The STC decision followed the recommendation. The STC also determined that the incentive limit would be $50,000/contract and $50,000/participant for all incentives except those where the participant is converting land from irrigated to non-irrigated.

EQIP Funding Distribution

The subcommittee recommended the following funding distribution for the regular EQIP allocation:

  • Forestland Health: $100,000
  • Water Quantity: $1,000,000

Remaining funds would be split as follows:

  • Grazing Lands Health: 30 percent
  • Livestock Waste: 30 percent
  • Soil Condition: 15 percent
  • Water Quality: 25 percent

The subcommittee's recommendation was for the EQIP Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) funds to be used in the designated Quick Response Areas with the Water Quantity resource concern.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentFY 2008 Quick Response Areas (300 KB)

These are changes from FY 2007 where the Water Quantity resource concern was funded from EQIP-GSWC funds. In FY 2007, Grazing Lands Health was split at 20 percent and Livestock Waste was 40 percent.

KTC concurred with this recommendation.

STC decision followed this recommendation. As of October 1, 2007, the EQIP-GSWC has not been reauthorized.

Meeting adjourn at 3:30 p.m.

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Last Modified: 11/19/2007