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Kansas Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Technical Guidance Number 48

January 8, 2004

Subject: Wetland Determinations

  • CRP CP27 designates only those wetlands not being in a floodplain as eligible. CRP CP23 and CRP CP31 designate those areas within a floodplain as being eligible.
    • To determine lands in a floodplain where there is not a 100-year floodplain map available, utilize the soil survey.
    • Those soils mapped as channeled, frequently flooded, or occasionally flooded will be considered to be within the 100-year floodplain.
  • The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) policy does not require a certified wetland determination to be completed.
    • Wetlands already identified which are not on one of the above-referenced soils are eligible.
    • Other areas should be determined on a case-by-case basis. For those areas where a producer does not desire a certified wetland determination be made, the district conservationists or area wetland teams will utilize the same tools used for a certified determination.
      • Prior converted cropland or any other area that meets eligibility criteria is eligible.

    Subject: Continuous CRP Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation Practices CP23, CP27, CP28, CP29, CP30, and CP31

    CP23 Wetland Restoration

  • Use the NRCS Practice Code 644, Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management, and other NRCS conservation practices as needed to meet the purpose of the CRP practice.
  • The practice must meet all criteria identified in FSA 2-CRP Handbook and FSA Notice CRP-454, until disposed.

    • CP27 Farmable Wetlands

  • Use the NRCS Practice Code 644, Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management, and other NRCS conservation practices as needed to meet the purpose of the CRP practice.
  • Possible use of this practice would be playa potholes, seeps, and other wetland areas not located within a 100-year floodplain and meeting the size limitation.
  • The practice must meet all other criteria identified in the FSA 2-CRP Handbook.

    • CP28 Farmable Wetlands Buffer

  • For seeding, use NRCS Practice Code 645, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management.
    • If the area above the buffer has an erosion rate exceeding 2T, then NRCS Practice Code 342, Critical Area Planting, Table 5, will be utilized.
    • See KS CRP Technical Guidance Number 38 to determine optimum mixes for wildlife.
  • Use other NRCS conservation practices, as needed, to meet the purpose of the CRP practice.
  • See Kansas Agronomy Technical Note KS-42, dated August 2002, and NRCS Practice Code 645 for operation and maintenance.
  • The practice must meet all other criteria identified in the FSA 2-CRP Handbook.

    • The combination CP27 and CP28 presents an opportunity to enroll wet areas not in a 100-year floodplain. These could be any number of areas including potholes, seeps, and others where restoration of these areas to native vegetation could provide wildlife and water quality benefits. Hydrology will be required to be restored to these areas, if needed, and may be a cost-sharable item.

    CP29 Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffer
    CP30 Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer
    Practices to be utilized for marginal pastureland eligibility areas where the predominate native vegetation is a mixture of grass, forbs, and shrubs – not forest or woodland.

  • Minimum width in Kansas is 30 feet with a maximum width of 120 feet, except as indicated below:
    • For atrazine application areas, the maximum width will be 200 feet.
    • Above watershed structures, the minimum width from the 10-year 24-hour frequency storm elevation may used.
    • Above corps of engineers dams or other dams, the frequently flooded elevation should be considered when determining where to begin the filter strip width. A variance may be requested for these on a site specific basis.
  • Practices (CP29 and CP30) must treat a resource concern not being addressed by the existing vegetation.
    • Evidence of concentrated flow, poor vegetation density, bank instability, poor plant diversity, or other issues should be considered.
    • Grass, shrub, and forb components should be determined on a site specific basis. Shrubs will not be required to be planted if they are not a part of the natural site vegetation.
    • Document natural site vegetation and determination of species to plant, utilizing original land survey maps, off site references, and other tools available.
  • For seeding, use NRCS Practice Code 645, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management.
    • If the area above the buffer has an erosion rate exceeding 2T, then NRCS Practice Code 342, Critical Area Planting, Table 5, will be utilized.
  • Only native species may be utilized for CRP CP29.
  • Use other NRCS conservation practices, as needed, to meet the purpose of the CRP practice.
  • See Kansas Agronomy Technical Note KS-42, dated August 2002, and NRCS Practice Code 645 for operation and maintenance.
  • Consider areas where producers have been practicing winter feeding/calving as areas where the feeding/calving area could be moved off the water course and this practice utilized to restore a functioning native community and meet a resource need of improving water quality.
  • The practice must meet all other criteria identified in FSA 2-CRP Handbook.
  • These practices (CP29 and CP30) provide the opportunity to offer producers a possible incentive to move winter feeding/calving areas away from a stream course. Where an on-site determination provides a documented issue with the existing vegetation, these situations will meet an obvious resource need in reducing the amount of pollutants reaching a water body.

    • CP31 Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands

  • Practice may be used to plant remainder of fields where acreage may not completely qualify for CRP CP22.
  • May be utilized in scour erosion areas.
  • For seeding, use NRCS Practice Code 612, Tree/Shrub Establishment.
  • See Kansas Agronomy Technical Note KS-42, dated August 2002.
  • Use other NRCS conservation practices as needed to meet the purpose of the CRP practice.
  • The practice must meet all criteria identified in FSA 2-CRP Handbook and FSA Notice CRP-462, until disposed.

    • /s/ Michael D. Marshall for

    HAROLD L. KLAEGE
    State Conservationist

    DIST: A, F, S, NPR, FSA (3), Benfer, T. Conway, Ungerer, Aslin (KFS), Schroeder (KDWP)