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Kansas Technical Committee Minutes - September 2007

Kansas Technical Committee (KTC) Teleconference
Thursday, November 15, 2007
9:00 a.m.

Harold L. Klaege, State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Salina, Kansas, opened the teleconference. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) requested NRCS convene a Kansas Technical Committee teleconference regarding the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Managed Haying and Grazing Provisions, FSA Notice CRP-537 – National Wildlife Federation Settlement.

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Adobe Acrobat documentAttendees (13 KB)

Bill R. Fuller, State Executive Director, FSA, Manhattan, Kansas, explained that FSA has engaged the use of a contractor to assist in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review as required by the settlement in the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) settlement. States involved in the settlement are being afforded the opportunity to provide input into managed haying and grazing frequencies and the primary nesting season dates.

Rod J. Winkler, Agricultural Programs Specialist, and Dennis Gaschler, Programs Specialist, from the FSA, Manhattan, Kansas, provided a review of the October 25, 2007, memo from Beverly Preston requesting state input and the brief. Both of these documents were provided to the KTC members prior to the teleconference.

Adobe Acrobat documentMemo from Beverly Preston (232 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentKansas Briefing (28 KB)

The areas in consideration for recommended changes include:

  • Primary Nesting Season – April 15 – July 15
  • Managed Haying frequency – no more than once in ten years on no more than 50 percent of the field and must wait five years between halves
  • Managed Grazing frequency – no more than once in five years

Following discussion, the KTC members made the following recommendations:

  • No recommended change to Primary Nesting Season
  • Managed Haying frequency should be revised to one out of three years on no more than 50 percent of each field and eliminate the waiting period between halves. An exception is recommended for small fields ten acres or smaller where the entire field can be hayed. Current payment reductions shall apply.
  • Managed Grazing frequency should be revised to one out of three years using current NRCS technical guidance for stocking rates or stubble height. Current payment reductions shall apply.

The above recommendations were unanimously agreed to by all members.

Bill Fuller thanked all KTC members for their participation and input, as well as NRCS for providing the teleconference. The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 a.m.

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Last Modified: 11/23/2007