Practice Standards Job Sheets Sandra Primard NRCS Vermont

Practice Standards & Job Sheets Sandra Primard NRCS Vermont State Agronomist

Practice Standards – Section IV • Practice standard contains information on why and where the practice is applied, and it sets forth the minimum quality criteria that must be met during the application of that practice in order for it to achieve its intended purpose(s). • Standards from the National Handbook of Conservation Practices and interim standards are to be used, and will be supplemented by states, as needed.

Practice Standards • National Handbook of Conservation Practices contains the nationally recognized minimum standard for the development and installation of practices. • All states may adopt a national standard and alter it to meet locally identified needs. Use State Standards for any planned practices.

Practice Specification • Practice specifications, developed by each State, establishes and lists terms and conditions, and how the practice standard will be made site-specific. • Guidance can include Statements of Work and/or Practice Job Sheets

Practice Standards • The National Handbook site on the NRCS web site contains the National Practice Standard, the practice introductions to state developed job sheets, the CPPE worksheets for each Resource Concern with rationales for the rating, job sheet templates, the national Statement of Work and the network diagrams for the practices. http: //www. nrcs. usda. gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/nati onal/technical/? cid=nrcsdev 11_001020

Practice Standards and Specs Practice Standards and Specifications (in Section IV, FOTG): • The NRCS refers to the specific requirements for designing, installing, and maintaining conservation practices as “Standards and Specifications. ” • Section IV of the FOTG is dedicated to practice standards and specifications and other related documentation. • You must meet or exceed these specifications when installing conservation practices.

Relationship Between National and State Adopted Conservation Practice Standards When a new or revised national conservation practice standard has been released, states decide, based on its applicability to the state’s resource concerns, whether to adopt the standard. If states choose to adopt a NHCP practice standard, the state conservationist has 1 year after the issuance of the new or revised standard to directly issue the standard or develop a state-modified standard for use in the FOTG.

Conservation Practice Job Sheets/Implementation Requirements (IR) • Job sheets or IRs provide specifics on the application of the practice in a state • Job sheets or IRs often provide places for installation notes, check out information and operation and maintenance information

Conservation Practice Job Sheets

Implementation Requirement

Conservation Practice Physical Effects • The conservation practice physical effects (CPPE) document provides guidance on how the application of that practice will affect the resources (soil, water, air, plants, animals and human) and the resource concerns associated with each of those resources. The worksheet that is on the server reflects the best estimate of the effects, either positive or negative, of that practice on the resource concerns.

Conservation Practice Physical Effects

Practice Specifications

Any Specific Questions?