Kansas State Technical Committee Minutes - July 2003

Kansas State Technical Committee (KTC) Meeting
Wednesday - July 9,2003
10:00 a.m. - NRCS Conference Center
747 Duvall - Salina, Kansas

Harold L. Klaege, State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) gave the welcome and opening remarks. Introductions were made.

Harold Klaege gave an overview of implementing the Farm Bill 2002, and the NRCS 2002 Program Accomplishments.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

Steven A. Parkin, Assistant State Conservationist, NRCS reviewed the GRP evaluation criteria developed with assistance from GRP subcommittee. The GRP Ranking Worksheet is attached. It was the consensus of the KTC to recommend the GRP Ranking Worksheet be implemented as developed.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.
GRP Ranking Worksheet (663 KB)

A draft of the FY 2003 Kansas Grassland Region of Concern map was distributed for review by the KTC.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.
Fiscal Year 2003 Kansas Grassland Region of Concern Map (622 KB)

Other GRP handouts were:

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.
Farm Bill 2002 Key Points (561 KB)
Copy of the Power Point Presentation (731 KB)
The Federal Register on GRP (3.74 MB)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Rodney D. Egbarts, Soil Conservationist, NRCS, presented the recommendation for the WHIP subcommittee regarding the use of essential plant and animal habitat WHIP agreements in Kansas. This provision allows use of up to 15 percent of the state WHIP allowance for increased cost-share payments to restore and protect essential plant and animal habitat using 15-year WHIP agreements.

It was the recommendation of the WHIP subcommittee to implement this provision using 15 percent of the Kansas WHIP allowance to protect lesser and greater prairie chickens. The prairie chicken was selected as the focus species because it is the flagship species for a range of other species in decline. A copy of the Kansas Fiscal Year 2004 WHIP At-Risk Species Habitat Areas Map is attached.

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Fiscal Year 2004 WHIP At-Risk Species Habitat Areas Map (765 KB)

The conservation systems to achieve this objective should include brush management cost-shared at 100 percent.  However, broadcast spraying should not be used as a method of brush management.  Associated range management practices may be included in conservation systems as non-cost shared support practices.

It was the consensus of the KTC to accept this recommendation.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Bill Fuller, State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency (FSA), gave an overview and turned the meeting over to Dennis Gaschler, Program Specialist, FSA.

Dennis Gaschler reviewed the following items:

Establishing the Primary Nesting and Brood Rearing Season

Washington FSA Notice CRP-439, dated June 25, 2003, provides policy for review and adjusting the primary nesting and brood rearing season.  The FSA State Committee shall review the primary nesting and brood rearing season with the KTC to determine whether the beginning and ending dates are appropriate.  A copy of Washington FSA Notice CRP-439 is attached.

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FSA Notice CRP-439 (798 KB)

The primary nesting and brood rearing season beginning and ending dates are not required to be uniform within the state but must conform to county boundaries.  Only one primary nesting and brood rearing season, applicable to all species, may be established.

Kansas counties were previously advised to establish the beginning date of the nesting season.  This date typically varied from the middle to the end of April.  The ending date of July 15, was established by the national office.

The primary nesting and brood rearing season was discussed with the KTC.

The KTC recommended for the FSA State Committee concurrence the beginning date of April 15 with July 15 as the ending date.  These dates would apply to the entire state.

The KTC recommendation was not unanimous as one organization suggested beginning and ending dates of May 1 and July 1 with grazing that would be allowed 15 days prior to May 1 and 15 days after July 1.

Another concern expressed by the KTC is that the brood rearing season actually occurs throughout most of the summer.  They suggested the dates reflect only the nesting season.

Haying and Grazing Year

Washington FSA Notice CRP-439 removes the June 1 emergency grazing start date and the July 1 emergency haying start date in FSA Handbook, 2-CRP, subparagraph 307(G).  It establishes October 1 as the beginning of the year for managed and emergency haying and grazing provisions.  Haying and grazing ends 30 days before the first frost.  The national office recognizes that certain regions of the country have climatic conditions that may allow haying or grazing to continue after the first frost date.  The FSA State Committee shall work with the KTC to identify those areas and submit the ending dates to CEPD for review and approval.  The first frost date for the state needs to be established.

KTC did not agree with this concept. They believe it:

• Restricts grazing
• Provides a situation that is neither conductive to wildlife or livestock grazing
• Creates a grazing situation when the grass should be rested

After considerable discussion, the KTC established October 31 as the first frost date for Kansas (See attached map). Grazing of CRP acreage would then cease on September 30.

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Kansas Freeze Date Map (564 KB)

It was suggested FSA contact our national office and request this concept be eliminated. Approved grazing under the managed or the emergency aspect of CRP will be conducted according to a Forage Management Plan that provides site specific guidelines for the grazing period based on stocking rates or residue height.

It was the consensus of the KTC to designate the closing frost date of October 31.

The High Plains Partnership

Rob Manes, Midwest Regional Representative, Wildlife Management Institute, gave a presentation on "The High Plains Partnership" asking for the support of the KTC. (Handout attached)

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High Plains Partnership (706 KB)

Meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

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