Name Title Location, Kansas LOCAL WORK GROUP Helping People Help the Land Attachment 3 to Bulletin KS dated 8/4/2015

FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2015 PREPARATION  The state conservationist (STC) is seeking local work 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.

FY2015 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 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 ten 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 (CAPs)  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

 Forestland Health  Grazing Lands Health  Livestock Waste  Sedimentation Above Federal Reservoirs  Tribal  Soil Health  Water Quality  Water Quantity/Quick Response Areas (QRA)  Water Quantity  Wildlife Habitat EQIP GENERAL RANKING CATEGORIES

 34 eligible applications received in seven sub- accounts statewide (Area I, Area II, Area III, Area IV, and historically underserved (HU) sub- accounts)  34 contracts approved  $218,996 total obligation 2014 FORESTLAND HEALTH (Statewide)

 291 eligible applications received in 37 sub- accounts statewide (All management units (MUs) plus HU sub-accounts)  224 contracts approved  $3,438,193 total obligation Note: FY2015 sub-accounts reduced (7 broader areas plus HU sub-accounts) 2014 GRAZING LANDS HEALTH (Statewide)

 32 eligible applications received in seven sub- accounts statewide (Area I, Area II, Area III, Area IV, and HU sub-accounts)  20 contracts approved  $2,068,175 total obligation 2014 LIVESTOCK WASTE (Statewide)

 16 eligible applications received in four sub- accounts (one statewide plus HU sub- accounts)  16 contracts approved  $405,261 total obligation 2014 SEDIMENTATION FEDERAL RES. (Statewide)

 78 eligible applications received in seven sub- accounts statewide (Area I, Area II, Area III, Area IV, and HU sub-accounts)  52 contracts approved  $1,325,816 total obligation 2014 SOIL HEALTH (Statewide)

 576 eligible applications received in 37 sub- accounts statewide (All MUs plus HU sub- accounts)  152 contracts approved  $3,100,731 total obligation Note: FY 2015 sub-accounts reduced (12 broader areas plus HU sub-accounts) 2014 WATER QUALITY (Statewide)

 49 eligible applications received in seven sub- accounts statewide (Area I, Area II, Area III, Area IV, and HU sub-accounts)  17 contracts approved  1,380,012 total obligation 2014 WATER QUANTITY (S TATEWIDE )

 2 eligible applications received  2 contracts approved  $368,652 total obligation 2014 WATER QUANTITY – QRA (Statewide)

 14 eligible applications received in seven sub- accounts statewide (Area I, Area II, Area III, Area IV, and HU sub-accounts)  14 contracts approved  $178,477 total obligation 2014 WILDLIFE HABITAT (Statewide)

EQIP GENERAL RANKING CATEGORIES  The STC requests input for the following:  Eligible CPs  Resource Concerns  Primary Resource Concerns  Secondary Resource Concerns  Payment Rates  Ranking Criteria

NATIONAL AND LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offered nine different initiatives that Kansas took part in to address specific resource concerns in FY2014.

EQIP ‒ NATIONAL INITIATIVES

NATIONAL INITIATIVES  On-Farm Energy Initiative—EQIP  Organic Initiative—EQIP  Seasonal High Tunnel 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 (AgEMP) 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  7 eligible applications received  7 contracts approved  $18,487 total obligation

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  1 eligible application received  1 contract approved  $31,315 contracts total obligation

NATIONAL SEASONAL HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE— EQIP

NATIONAL SEASONAL HIGH TUNNEL 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 SEASONAL HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE 2013 PRELIMINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS  29 total applications received  29 contracts approved  $195,850 total obligations

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  Emma Creek — Harvey and McPherson Counties  Grasshopper Creek — Atchison, Brown, Jefferson Counties

NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE (Statewide)  20 eligible applications received  20 contracts approved  $450,602 total obligation

EDGE – OF – FIELD WATER QUALITY MONITORING — EQIP

EDGE–OF–FIELD WATER QUALITY MONITORING OVERVIEW  Three primary purposes: 1.Evaluate conservation system performance 2.Validate and calibrate models 3.Inform on-farm adaptive management  New Conservation Activities:  201, Edge-of-Field Water Quality Monitoring — Data Collection and Evaluation  202, Edge-of-Field Water Quality Monitoring — System Installation  Headwaters Grasshopper Creek, Brown County  National Water Quality Initiative HUC-12

EQIP LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES

LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES  Drought Recovery  Water Quantity and Drought Pilot  Ogallala Aquifer Initiative  Working Lands for Wildlife — Lesser Prairie-Chicken

DROUGHT RECOVERY

 Eight states nationwide including Kansas.  Support efforts that will mitigate short-term or long-term drought relief for producers.  The NRCS in Kansas will emphasize assistance to producers with grazing lands health and livestock water concerns.

DROUGHT RECOVERY  6 eligible applications received  6 contracts approved  $231,613 total obligation

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 and 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  23 applications  23 contracts approved  $2,492,622 total obligations

WORKING LANDS FOR WILDLIFE (WLFW) LESSER PRAIRIE- CHICKEN (LPCI)

WLFW — LPCI OVERVIEW  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  5 eligible applications received  5 contracts approved  $332,014 total obligations

WLFW — LPC RECOMMENDATIONS  Comments or recommendations for resource concerns, eligible practices, payment rates, and ranking criteria that we could take forward to the multi-state group?

CSP

 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  The FY2015 cutoff date has not been announced; we are still obligating for FY 14. CSP OVERVIEW

2014 CSP ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2013 PRELIMINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS  163 eligible applications received (statewide)  163 contracts approved  $3,759,291 total obligation  298,122 acres under contract

RCPP

 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 and 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 Note: In Kansas – 2014 AWEP and CCPI were handled through the general EQIP allocation process. RCPP OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers. If you believe you experienced discrimination when obtaining services from USDA, participating in a USDA program, or participating in a program that receives financial assistance from USDA, you may file a complaint with USDA. Information about how to file a discrimination complaint is available from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex (including gender identity and expression), marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, complete, sign and mail a program discrimination complaint form, available at any USDA office location or online at or write to: USDA Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C Or call toll free at (866) (voice) to obtain additional information, the appropriate office or to request documents. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay service at (800) or (800) (in Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT