Subject: CP38E State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement - Habitat for Upland Game Birds

Overview

A Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) CP38E project has been approved in the state of Kansas. Kansas has been allocated 30,100 acres for enrollment through the CRP SAFE CP38E practice. Enrollment will begin March 17, 2008.

The CRP SAFE CP38E enrollment is available statewide, on a first-come first-serve basis, with an emphasis on three designated priority areas for pheasants, bobwhite quail, and greater prairie chicken. These three areas will receive emphasis on promotion of the program only. No enrollment priority is given to these three areas.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide technical assistance related to cover establishment and will complete the Conservation Plan of Operations (CPOs) for accepted CRP SAFE offers. District conservationists (DCs) will review Farm Service Agency (FSA) Kansas Notice CRP-309 for SAFE program policy.

Conservation Planning

The Form KS-CPA-52, Environmental Effects for Conservation Planning, will be completed by the NRCS. Refer to 2-CRP (Revision 4), Paragraph 242(F), about responsibilities. As indicated, the FSA will complete Sections P, Q, and R of the form.

The NRCS will obtain the signature on the conservation plan for the applicant whose signature appears on the FSA Form CRP-2. The DC must approve the conservation plan as well.

During the planning process, herbicide carryover information and cropping information must be obtained as noted in CRP Technical Guidance Number 39 dated May 15, 2003. The Form CRP-2 should contain cropping information.

Components for cover shall be established under existing practice components for CP2, CP4D, CP10, and CP12. Practice narratives will be utilized by planners that address the resource concerns. Practice code 645, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management, shall be utilized for seeding requirements.

It is important to review Form KS-ECS-4, Grass Seeding, with the participant to be sure that they fully understand the seed mix requirements. Participants will be informed that no seed substitutions can be made without prior approval. The participant will sign Form KS-ECS-4 indicating their understanding of the requirements.

All CRP contracts will include practice code 472, Use Exclusion (narrative KS01), and practice code 595, Pest Management (narrative KS01). These narratives address pest control (including control of noxious weeds), ensure cover will not be disturbed during the nesting and brood-rearing season (April 15 to July 15), and prohibit harvesting or grazing of CRP acreage (exception for managed haying and grazing included in the CPO).

The CRP SAFE CP38E contracts will be a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 15 years in length.

Management Practices

The CRP SAFE CP38E participants are required to conduct one management practice every five years of the contract, as part of the approved conservation plan. This means over a 10-year contract period two management practices would be performed, and a 15-year contract period will require implementation of three management practices. Refer to FSA Kansas Notice CRP-309 and 2-CRP Paragraph 239(A) and Kansas Exhibit 5 for specific information on eligible management practices.

Any existing approved cover enrolled into a CRP SAFE CP38E contract will require the initial management practice to be completed in the first two years of the contract period. This will serve as the management practice completed for the first five-year segment of the contract.

No more than 50 percent of a field may be managed hayed in any year, and managed haying shall only be allowed on contract acres one time during the contract life on CRP SAFE CP38E acres. Managed haying and grazing options are not eligible for cost share.

Management practices shall not be applied to the same acres in consecutive years. A maintenance burn may be conducted one year and a management burn the following year to provide for woody plant control.

During signup, the FSA offices will inform applicants of the management requirements. However, applicants are not required to commit to a practice at that time. Therefore, the NRCS may need to work with participants to determine the management practice that addresses the resource needs and meets the participants’ objectives.

/s/

ASTOR F. BOOZER
Acting State Conservationist

DIST: A, F, S, Ungerer, FSA (3), Aslin (KFS), KDWP (Mitchener, Swank, Tiemann, and Wolfe)