Part 512 – Conservation Systems and Plans

1. Part 512 – Conservation Systems and Plans

2. Conservation Systems & Plans • A conservation system is a combination of one or more conservation measures or management practices that when applied must bring about either – • A substantial reduction in soil erosion, or • for land sodbusted after Dec 23, 1985, allow for no substantial increase in soil erosion • A HEL plan is a document that describes the application and maintenance of an approved conservation system

3. Conservation Systems & Plans • Conservation Plans and Conservation Systems may be developed: • At the request of the participant. • By qualified NRCS employees; • By qualified District employees; • By qualified TSP’s or third parties; or • By the participant.

4. Conservation Plan or System? • Conservation Plans are desired, but not required in normal circumstances. • Sodbuster does NOT require a conservation plan just because it is a sodbuster. • When a USDA participant requests a plan, NRCS must, by regulation, provide such in a timely manner.

5. When is a Plan Required? • After a HEL violation and prior to reinstatement. • Following FSA’s granting an exemption of Good Faith. • Following NRCS’s granting of a variance from a violation found during the normal provision oftechnical assistance (not during a compliance review).

6. NRCS-CPA-027 • NRCS is not required to provide annual or other certification of compliance with the conservation plan or conservation system. • The NRCS-CPA-027 is only required to be executed when a conservation plan is required (see the previous slide). • The NRCS-CPA-027 must be executed when the USDA participant: • Agrees to the plan by signature, and • When the system in the plan has been fully applied.

7. Conservation systems must meet the specific soil protection requirements for the site and situation (sodbust/non-sodbust): Substantial Reduction – non sodbuster No Substantial Increase -- sodbuster Erosion Protection Requirements

9. *Refer to Utah ACS maximum allowable soil loss sheets

10. NFSAM, 512.01(d & e)

11. Substantial Increase Definition When developing a conservation system for land converted from native vegetation there must not be: Any soil erosion level that is greater than the sustainable level (soil loss tolerance – [T]) of the predominant HEL soil mapping unit in the HEL field. • In cases of determining substantial increase, the LS factor will be determined in the field. NFSAM, 512.01(f)

12. Conservation System Components The conservation system shall include all treatments and measures needed to meet the HELC requirements, including treatment required— • To result in a substantial reduction in erosion or… • To prohibit a substantial increase in erosion. • For the control of— • Sheet and rill erosion • Wind erosion • Ephemeral gully erosion

13. System Standards Conservation systems must be based on the following: • Economic feasibility • Local resource conditions. • Available conservation system technology. • The standards and guidelines contained in the local FOTG. NFSAM, 512.01(b)

14. Utah Specific Guidelines • Refer to CMS Introduction in Section III of eFOTG (Pages 4-5, July 2002) • Low yields on non-irrigated cropland (Item 5) • Irrigated hayland waiver (Items 6 & 7) • FSA/FACTA Guide Sheets

15. Documentation of a System As a minimum, planning documentation should include the following: • Description of the system being applied. • Before and after soil loss calculations, including all the factor values used to determine the soil loss. • Conservation practices necessary to meet the minimum system requirements of the FOTG. NFSAM, 512.02(b)

16. Approval Levels • Field office employees may approve systems where erosion does not exceed 2T (two times the tolerable erosion rate). • State Conservationists may approve systems that have a predicted erosion rate of 2T but not to exceed 4T (four times the tolerable erosion rate) • Refer to Utah ACS guidelines NFSAM, 512.02(c)

17. Using RUSLE • Conservation systems developed using USLE or RUSLE, will be recalculated using RUSLE2 to establish the new soil loss value for the conservation system. • USLE factor values will not be used in RUSLE calculations.

19. Using RUSLE • RUSLE estimates will not be compared to USLE estimates. • RUSLE soil-loss estimates must be used to make comparisons with actual RUSLE soil losses determined during a conservation system review or a Compliance Status Review. (See NFSAM, Part 518.)

20. Using RUSLE • Where maximum USLE or RUSLE values have been used to establish an acceptable HEL conservation system, a corresponding current version of RUSLE soil loss must be established for the same system. • All new conservation systems will be developed and/or evaluated using the current version of RUSLE. NFSAM, 512.03

21. Technical Requirements • The revised HEL conservation system must meet current requirements of NFSAM, 7 CFR 12, Subpart B, and the FOTG. • (See NFSAM, Part 512, Subpart A). NFSAM, 512.04

22. Planning Requirements Conservation plans will: • Meet the HELC requirements in the provisions; • Will be developed according to the policy and procedures in the following NRCS policy documents: • GM-180, Part 409 Conservation Planning Policy. • National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH) • GM-450, Part 401 • NFSAM, Part 512, Subpart B • FOTG requirements in use at the time the plan is developed. NFSAM, 512.10

23. System O & M • Once a practice is applied, the HELC provisions require that the conservation system (including all practices required to maintain the substantial reduction or no substantial increase) must be maintained.

24. System O & M • The functional life of a practice starts with construction and ends when it fails to provide the benefits it was designed to provide. NFSAM, 512.21