Kansas State Technical Committee Minutes - May 2005

Kansas State Technical Committee (KTC) Meeting
Monday, May 2, 2005
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
NRCS Conference Center
747 Duval - Salina, Kansas

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

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

2005 Haying and Grazing Policy Clarification

Rod Winkler and Dennis Gaschler, Farm Service Agency (FSA), led discussion regarding the CRP managed grazing period in Kansas. Previously the KTC, with FSA State Committee approval, determined managed grazing in Kansas would be conducted outside the primary nesting/brood rearing season (April 15 through July 15) not to exceed 120 consecutive days or as otherwise limited based upon forage conditions, stocking rates, etc. as identified in the forage management plan.

National FSA Notice CRP-492, 2005 Haying and Grazing Policy Reminder and Clarification, describes the intent of establishing the haying and grazing periods. Managed grazing is authorized for a single period up to 120 calendar days, or for two 60 calendar day periods with specific beginning and ending dates. The state's grazing period can not exceed a total of 120 days.  Since the Kansas policy does not follow this procedure, the grazing period was again brought to the KTC for a grazing period recommendation. 

KTC members were advised separate grazing periods could be established by region based on geographic or weather conditions. The KTC felt the current established grazing period was the best fit for Kansas operations and took action under protest due to the limited flexibility in procedure. However, after several proposals, including consideration of a separate region in southeast Kansas for cool-season grasses, and consideration of grazing periods by grass species, the KTC recommended a managed grazing period of 120 consecutive days beginning July 16 through November 12.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.

Notice CRP-492 (21 KB)

CRP Practice CP33 Review

In August 2004, a CRP initiative for the Northern Bobwhite Quail and other upland birds was implemented. Kansas received 20,000 acres which the KTC and the FSA State Committee determined to allocate two bird priority areas within the state. Priority area number 1 which is the Tall Grass Prairie Region in the eastern one-third of Kansas received 15,000 acres. Priority area number 2, the western two-thirds of the state, received the remaining 5,000 acres. The acreage allocation distribution would be subject to an annual assessment October 1.

Priority area number 2 as of April 28, 2005, approved 4,995.6 acres of their 5,000 acre allocation. Priority area number 1 has approved 2,369 acres for the same time period. Pending CP33 acres in priority area number 2 exceed 1,800 acres. All requests can not be funded. Rod Winker also reviewed the following CP33 statistics: a ranking of county CP33 acres, pending requests on file with counties as of April 29, 2005, KTC minutes of September 2004 regarding monitoring of priority area acreage, and state usage of CP33 acres compared to other states.

Concern among various agencies of the KTC was the timing of an acreage allocation re-distribution. Should action be taken now or wait until the annual assessment of Practice CP33 in October? All discussion centered on movement of acreage from priority area number 1 to priority area number 2. The KTC felt it was important to utilize the acreage when the producer interest is high. It was recommended to shift 5,000 acres to priority area number 2 making an allocation of 10,000 acres to each priority area, and to file a request with the national office asking for additional practice CP33 acreage based on the current usage in Kansas and lack of interest in other states. The recommendation was unanimous.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.

CP33 Acres - Ranking as of 4/18/2005 (23 KB)
Kansas CP33 Acres - Map (422 KB)
State Usage of CP33 Acres (28 KB)

Practice CP23A

Rod addressed the KTC regarding a lack of interest in practice CP23A. Specifically, what actions could be taken by FSA or others to increase participation? One thought was the wetland determination, although not considered official, was a deterrent. Another observation was that producers do not always listen to other agency representatives. They tend to listed only to FSA or NRCS. The consensus was that a continued outreach effort is needed by all agencies.

Managed CRP Haying

Troy Schroeder, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, asked if the FSA State Committee would consider changing their policy on permitting 100 percent of the acreage hayed under the managed haying provisions. Under emergency haying provisions, 50 percent of each field must remain un-hayed for wildlife. Troy stated the haying of the entire CRP field is detrimental to wildlife and encourages the FSA State Committee to consider the KTC unanimous recommendation to limit managed haying to 50 percent of the field. He also cites FSA Notice CRP-492 that indicates managed haying and grazing of CRP acreage must be conducted in a manner consistent to accomplish a goal of enhancing wildlife habitat.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Harold Klaege reviewed the status of EQIP and discussed that:

• Approximately $1.0 million was not able to be obligated for general EQIP contracts from the first ranking period.
• Approximately $80,000 was not able to be obligated for Ground and Surface Water Conservation EQIP contracts from the first ranking period.

The second sign-up cut-off for EQIP is May 20, 2005.

He asked the committee on how should the funds be allocated. Harold suggested that county allocations should not be considered.

The committee recommended that the funds be allocated to the areas by the same resource concern percentages that were used in the first ranking period. The committee also recommended that any high priority application, regardless of resource concern, be funded before funding any medium priority.

Harold agreed to adopt these suggestions.

Meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

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