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Kansas Technical Committee Minutes - November 2006

Kansas Technical Committee (KTC) Meeting
Friday, November 17, 2006
10:00 a.m.
NRCS Conference Center
747 Duval - Salina, Kansas

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

Conservation Priority Areas (CPAs)

Bill R. Fuller, State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency (FSA), Manhattan, Kansas, introduced the topic of reorganizing the Conservation Priority Areas (CPAs) and adding the proposed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) area.

Rod J. Winkler, Agricultural Programs Specialist, and Dennis Gaschler, Programs Specialist, FSA, presented background information and an explanation of the purpose of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) CPAs. A map was provided to the group which illustrated the current CPAs in Kansas, the proposed CPAs, and minutes from previous KTC Subcommittee meetings. Kearny, Reno, and Russell Counties submitted new CPA proposals.

These documents are in Adobe Acrobat format.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentProposed CPA map (342 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCurrent CPA map (133 KB)

The following is a list of topics which were discussed and the details were clarified:

  • Highly Erodible Land (HEL) requirement of land enrolled in CRP is not applicable to CPAs.
  • Use of supporting data and other criteria to determine the removal of acres from CPAs.
  • Evidence that current CPAs have actually improved water quality or wildlife.
  • The effect of the 33 percent cropland acreage limitation on production acres.
  • Number of acres enrolled in CRP due to CPA designations.
  • Concern of highly productive land being enrolled in CRP.
  • Success of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Walk-In Hunting Areas (WIHA) Program and positive effect that CPAs have had on target wildlife species.
  • The reasoning for the expanded area in Finney County on the proposed CREP CPA.
  • Importance of water conservation – both water quality and water quantity.
  • Progress of the Kansas Water Office CREP Proposal.

Correspondence in support of the proposed CREP on behalf of Kansas Farm Bureau was distributed to those in attendance. The group was also provided a copy of correspondence from Leslie Kaufman, Executive Director, Kansas Cooperative Council (KCC). In their letter, the KCC stated opposition to the establishment of a CPA to facilitate the CREP and opposed the CREP itself. The KCC encouraged the KTC to reject the subcommittee recommendations relative to the CREP/Ark River Area.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentKansas Farm Bureau memo (385 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentKansas Cooperative Council memo (359 KB)

The Kansas Grain and Feed Association and Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association voiced opposition to the implementation of the CREP due to the negative economic impact. They believe there should be a greater focus on enrolling more HEL in CRP. Overall, they are opposed to the CREP area due to the economic harm it will cause the state.

A consensus on the proposed CPA for the CREP was not reached by the KTC. The input provided by KTC members, for and against the proposal, including the supportive and non-supportive correspondence, will be presented to the Kansas State FSA Committee on December 5, 2006.

Brandy Carter, Kansas Cattlemen's Association (KCA), Manhattan, and David Pfrang, KCA Board Member, Nemaha County, introduced concerns being voiced by association members about the distribution and completion of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts.

Meeting adjourned at noon.

Last Modified: 02/12/2007

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