Kansas Priority Natural Resource Concerns

Based on local advice through the Kansas Technical Committee (KTC) and national EQIP priorities, seven natural ranking categories were identified as priorities in Kansas for Fiscal Year 2008. Each has at least one identified resource concern that will be treated.

• Forestland Health
  • Plant Condition - Productivity, Health, Vigor (Forestland/Agroforest)
• Grazing Lands Health
  • Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water
  • Plant Condition – Noxious, Invasive Weeds
  • Plant Condition – Productivity, Health, Vigor (Rangeland/Pastureland/Hayland)
• Livestock Waste
  • Air Quality – Objectionable Odors
  • Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground and/or Surface Water
• Soil Condition
  • Soil Condition – Organic Matter Depletion
• Water Quality
  • Soil Erosion – Streambank
  • Water Quality – Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Ground and/or Surface Water
  • Water Quality – Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water
  • Water Quality – Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Ground and/or Surface Water
• Water Quantity
  • Water Quantity – Aquifer Overdraft
  • Water Quantity – Inefficient Water Use on Irrigated Land
  • Water Quantity - Insufficient Flows in Water Courses

EQIP Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) funding was made available in January 2008, and will be used to fund the Water Quantity ranking category in the defined Quick Response Areas (QRA).

• Water Quantity - QRA
  • Water Quantity – Aquifer Overdraft
  • Water Quantity – Inefficient Water Use on Irrigated Land
  • Water Quantity - Insufficient Flows in Water Courses

These natural resource concerns address national, state and local priorities. Water quality concerns directly focus on Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) issues across the state along with protecting the state’s federal reservoirs.

Several of the concern categories address soil erosion and sedimentation issues on cropland and along streambanks. Protection of the state's valuable ground and surface water supply is addressed with several of the concern categories, but especially with the water quantity concern. Efforts are focused on converting irrigated land to non-irrigated land in areas of concern and providing net water savings to irrigation systems.

Kansas NRCS, with advice from KTC, has chosen to address the at-risk species habitat concern within each of the priority natural resource concerns. Additional priority is given to those applications whose treatment addresses restoring or improving at-risk species habitat that is affected by that priority natural resource concern.

Applications having EQIP priority natural resource concerns with a planned treatment level that will meet or exceed NRCS electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG) quality criteria are eligible for EQIP. Applications which do not meet this requirement will be considered ineligible. Applications that have EQIP priority resource concerns already treated to quality criteria, priority resource concerns with ineligible practices, priority resource concerns that do not meet application evaluation criteria, or have a resource concern other than a priority natural resource concern are ineligible.

Self-Assessment Worksheets have been developed for producers to complete during the application process. These worksheets are designed to assist producers with determining if EQIP is the appropriate conservation program for their land and to better prepare the producers for their visit to the local NRCS office. The worksheets will be made available in hard copy and electronically. The worksheets are required to be completed and returned to the NRCS office prior to the application period cutoff date.

The availability of other programs, both public and private, to assist with activities related to the priority natural resource concerns was considered. Additional funds are available from other state and federal agencies, as well private organizations, for the treatment of these priority resource concerns and may be partnered with EQIP.