XXXXXXX COUNTY LOCAL WORKING GROUP Month Day 2017

XXXXXXX COUNTY LOCAL WORKING GROUP Month Day, 2017 XXXXXXXX Supervisory District Conservationist XXXX, Kansas XXXXX@ks. usda. gov www. ks. nrcs. usda. gov Helping People Help the Land

FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2018 PREPARATION The State Conservationist (STC) is seeking local working group (LWG) recommendations for Farm Bill Programs: § Resource concerns to be addressed § Eligible conservation practices (CPs) to be offered § Payment rates (e. g. , 50 percent or 75 percent cost share) § Ranking criteria to be considered The STC is accepting comments to be forwarded to national headquarters (NHQ) for National and Landscape Initiatives.

FY 2018 PREPARATION Cutoff Dates § Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) General―dates to be announced. (The goal is to stay consistent with the mid–November cutoff date from the previous years. ) § Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) dates to be announced. § EQIP Initiative dates to be announced. § Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) dates to be announced.

FARM BILL PROGRAMS EQIP CSP RCPP

EQIP

EQIP The STC requests input for the following: § Eligible conservation practices § Resource concerns § Primary resource concerns § Secondary resource concerns § Payment rates § Ranking criteria

EQIP OVERVIEW EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Sixty percent of funds must be obligated to address livestock–related issues. Five percent of funds must be obligated to address wildlife.

EQIP OVERVIEW Kansas currently has nine different ranking categories under general EQIP that offer financial assistance (FA) to address various resource concerns. Conservation plans received prior to August 31 receive additional ranking points.

EQIP CONSERVATION ACTIVITY PLANS Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs) contracts are available for the development of the following: § Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan § Drainage Water Management § Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Plan § Forest Management Plan § Integrated Pest Management Plan § Irrigation Water Management Plan § Nutrient Management Plan § Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Management Plan § Transition from Irrigation to Dryland Plan

EQIP GENERAL RANKING CATEGORIES Forestland Health Grazing Lands Health Livestock Waste Sedimentation Above Federal Reservoirs Tribal Soil Health Water Quality Water Quantity Wildlife Habitat

2017 FORESTLAND HEALTH (Statewide) 2017 Funding Levels: 1% $198, 640

2017 GRAZING LANDS HEALTH (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 19% $3, 774, 160

2017 LIVESTOCK WASTE (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 20% $3, 972, 800

2017 SEDIMENTATION FEDERAL RES. (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 5% $993, 200

2017 SOIL HEALTH (Statewide) 2017 Funding Levels: 10% $1, 986, 400 In six sub-accounts statewide (Area I, Area III, Area IV, and historically underserved)

2017 WATER QUALITY (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 18% $3, 575, 520

2017 WATER QUANTITY (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 11. 5% $2, 284, 360

2017 TRIBAL (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 0. 5% $99, 320

2017 WILDLIFE HABITAT (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: 5. 0% $993, 200 Note: 5% of general EQIP allocation is required to be offered by statute.

NATIONAL AND LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer nine different initiatives that Kansas took part in to address specific resource concerns in FY 2017.

EQIP‒NATIONAL INITIATIVES

NATIONAL INITIATIVES On-Farm Energy Initiative—EQIP Organic Initiative—EQIP High Tunnel System Initiative—EQIP Water Quality Initiative—EQIP

NATIONAL ON-FARM ENERGY INITIATIVE– EQIP

NATIONAL ON-FARM ENERGY INITIATIVE OVERVIEW Designed to specifically address energy conservation and assist producers in two ways: 1. Identify ways to conserve energy on farms through an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (Ag. EMP) CAP, also known as an on-farm energy audit. 2. Provide assistance to implement various recommended measures through the use of conservation practices (CPs) offered through this initiative, such as CP 374, Farmstead Energy Improvement.

NATIONAL ON-FARM ENERGY INITIATIVE 2017 Funding Level: $100, 000

NATIONAL ORGANIC INITIATIVE—EQIP

NATIONAL ORGANIC INITIATIVE Assist eligible producers with installation of conservation practices to treat resource concerns on agricultural operations related to organic production. Includes: § Certified organic producers § Producers transitioning to organic § Exempt organic producers (less than $5, 000 a year in organic agricultural production)

NATIONAL ORGANIC INITIATIVE 2017 Funding Level: $50, 000

NATIONAL HIGH TUNNEL SYSTEM INITIATIVE—EQIP

NATIONAL HIGH TUNNEL SYSTEM INITIATIVE Assist producers to extend the growing season for high value crops in an environmentally safe manner. Potential to assist producers in addressing a resource concern by improving plant quality, improving soil quality, and reducing nutrient and pesticide transport.

NATIONAL HIGH TUNNEL SYSTEM INITIATIVE 2017 Funding Level: $300, 000

NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE— EQIP

NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE OVERVIEW Assist producers with addressing high-priority water resource concerns in small watersheds. NWQI will accelerate efforts to improve water quality in hydrologic unit code (HUC) 12 -digit watersheds with targeted waters emphasizing treatment of nutrient, sediment, and pathogen concerns. The following three HUC-12 watersheds were selected in Kansas: § Big Creek—Ellis County § Headwaters Soldier Creek–Nemaha and Jackson Counties § Headwaters Mud Creek–Marion County

NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE (Statewide) 2017 Funding Level: $683, 000 Big Creek Mud Creek Soldier Creek

EQIP LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES

LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES Ogallala Aquifer Initiative Working Lands for Wildlife—Lesser Prairie-Chicken

OGALLALA AQUIFER INITIATIVE (OAI)

OGALLALA AQUIFER INITIATIVE The OAI is designed to reduce the quantity of water removed from the aquifer and to improve water quality using conservation practices on cropland rangeland. Priority areas* defined in OAI proposal: § Water Quantity § Greater than 25 foot of groundwater decline § Water Quality § 60 percent or greater chance of nitrate levels exceeding 4 ppm in recent groundwater recharge *based on analysis from the U. S. Geological Survey

OGALLALA AQUIFER INITIATIVE 2017 Funding Level: $1, 100, 000

WORKING LANDS FOR WILDLIFE (WLFW) LESSER PRAIRIECHICKEN (LPCI)

WLFW is an effort between the NRCS and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service that leverages capabilities and resources and targets assistance where it is most needed. Eight species targeted nationwide. In Kansas the Lesser Prairie-Chicken was selected and the eligible area was determined by a multi-state group (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas).

WLFW—LPCI 2017 Funding Level: $1, 897, 000

CSP

CSP OVERVIEW The purpose of this program is for producers to address resource concerns by: § Completing new conservation practices. § Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities. Annual enhancement payments are offered and vary according to the signup.

CSP OVERVIEW CSP is a nationally managed program which means suggestions are accepted, but the following are predetermined by the agency when the program is announced: § § Eligible enhancements Resource concerns Payment rates Ranking criteria

RCPP

RCPP OVERVIEW The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. NRCS provides assistance through partnership agreements and through program contracts or easement agreements. RCPP combines the authorities of four former conservation programs: § Agricultural Watershed Enhancement Program § Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program § Cooperative Conservation Partnership Program § Great Lakes Basin Program § Assistance is delivered in accordance with the rules of EQIP, CSP, ACEP, and HFRP.

RCPP OVERVIEW Funding for RCPP is allocated to projects in three different categories: § Critical Conservation Areas–for projects in 8 geographic areas chosen by the Secretary (35% of the funding). § National–for nationwide and multistate projects (40% of the funding). § State–for projects in a single state (25% of the funding). Eligible Partners–producer associations, farmer cooperatives or other groups of producers, state or local governments, American Indian Tribes, municipal water treatment entities, water and irrigation districts, conservation-driven nongovernmental organizations and institutions of higher education.

RCPP OVERVIEW Eligible Participants–Under RCPP, eligible producers and landowners of agricultural land non-industry private forestland may enter into conservation program contracts or easement agreements UNDER THE FRAMEWORK OF A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. RCPP assistance is also available independent of a partner if the land is located either in a partner project area or in a critical conservation area designated by the Secretary. Partnership Agreement–defines the project scope including: § Activities to be implemented § Potential agricultural or private forest operations affected § Geographic coverage area § Planning, outreach, implementation, and project cost assessment

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