Subject: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Conservation Plan of Operations Guidance

Overview

A Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has been approved for an area along and adjacent to the Upper Arkansas River (UAR), from the Colorado state line to Great Bend, Kansas. The CREP is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) with assistance from the state of Kansas. A CREP coordinator has been housed with the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to assist with coordination of the program.

The CREP is a continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up which shall continue until the maximum number of acres allowed by agreement of the Kansas legislature has been enrolled or funding for the program is no longer approved either federally or by the state.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide technical assistance related to cover establishment and will complete conservation plans for accepted CREP offers. District conservationists (DC) will review planning information in FSA 2-CRP (Revision 4), Kansas Amendment 7, dated February 6, 2008. Paragraph 236 covers development of conservation plans.

It is important that the NRCS employees refrain from answering questions related to water rights. The NRCS will not begin development of Conservation Plan of Operations (CPO) prior to the producer and state agreeing to water rights terminations on the enrolled acreage. This will require close coordination with our FSA and state partners. Refer to 2-CRP (Revision 4), Kansas Amendment 7, Kansas Exhibit 44 “Process for Implementing UAR CREP in Kansas.”

Conservation Planning

The Form KS-CPA-52, Environmental Effects for Conservation Planning, will be completed by 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 FSA Form CRP-2 should contain cropping information.

The conservation plan will include practices pertinent to the offered conservation practice (CP). The CPs eligible for contracts enrolled under CREP are: CP2, CP4D, CP9, CP10, CP21, CP22, CP23, and CP23A.

All CREP contracts will include CPs 472, Use Exclusion (narrative KS01), and 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).

All participants are required to cease irrigation on enrolled acres except for limited irrigation allowed to be applied on soils with an I factor greater or equal to 134. This limited irrigation on soils with an I factor greater or equal to 134 will be allowed the first 24 months of the contract to aid in the establishment of the cover crop and grass planting. The NRCS will not monitor the amount of water applied during this period of limited irrigation. Any questions related to this water use shall be directed to the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources.

All CREP contracts will be 15 years or 14 years plus in length.

Cover Establishment

Cover establishment will be planned utilizing either the conservation practice 550, Range Planting (practice narrative CREP00), or CP 645, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (practice narrative CREP00). For those contracts where predominate soils have an I factor equal to or greater than 134, use practice narrative CREP01 with CP 550 or practice narrative CREP01 with CP 645.

It is important to review the Form KS-ECS-4, Grass Seeding, with the producers 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 producer will sign Form KS-ECS-4 indicating their understanding of the requirements.

Management Practices

The CREP contracts are required to include at least one management practice as part of the approved conservation plan. The CREP participants may choose any of the approved management practices for Kansas and their enrollment practice. Refer to FSA 2-CRP Paragraph 239(A) and Kansas Exhibit 5 for specific information on eligible management practices.

Managed haying and grazing options are not eligible for cost share. Refer to FSA 2-CRP (Revision 4), Paragraphs 292-293 for additional information on managed haying and grazing.

During sign-up, the FSA offices informed applicants of the management requirements. However, applicants were 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)