| Title |
Description |
| Agricultural Odor |
Use manure management, feed management, and control and
treatment of exhausts from confined animal facilities to reduce the
production and transport of odorous compounds through the air. |
| Ozone Precursors |
Control ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides, volatile organic
compounds) by reducing chemical and fuel volatilization, controlling
emissions from animals and their manures, utilizing lower emitting power
sources, and minimizing nitrogen emissions from soils. |
| Particulate Matter |
Airborne particulate matter (both coarse and fine) can be
managed through these types of activities: Minimize soil disturbance
through reduced or no till to control wind erosion; treat unpaved roads and
other traffic areas with a dust control palliative to reduce dust
generation; control ammonia emissions from soils and animals to control
production of airborne nitrate (a source of particulate matter); use
appropriate smoke management strategies when performing burning. |
|
Energy Audit Agricultural Operations |
An energy audit identifies and evaluates energy management opportunities on
the farm or ranch. The audit quantifies the baseline energy use, identifies
major conservation opportunities, and assesses costs and savings of
implementing recommended changes. |
|
Recycle 100% of Waste Lubricants on Farm |
Used or excess lubricants, including waste oils are delivered to permitted
recycling centers for re-refinement or reprocessing. |
|
Renewable Energy Generation |
Electricity is generated for on-farm use by way of wind turbine, solar
panels and/or small hydro systems. |
|
Monitoring |
Measurement, recording, and interpretation of changes in soil and plant
conditions to evaluate and refine management decisions to evaluate effects
of current management on soil and plant conditions and refine management
strategies as needed. |
|
Grazing Management |
Implementation of at least two of the following activities: 1) Rotation of
salt, mineral, and supplemental feeding areas; 2) Utilize decision support
tools to aid in grazing management; 3) Improve soil quality and plant
condition through management of pasture legume species composition decision
making; 4) Utilize grazing management plans that provide 60% or greater rest
periods during growing season; 5 ) Prescribed burning patterns to improve
wildlife habitat diversity. |
|
Cropped Woodland Improvement |
Forest stand improvement of cropped woodlands to optimize growth and health
of overstory and understory. Includes manipulation of species composition,
stand structure and stocking rates to achieve desired results while
maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem. |
|
Soil Conditioning Index Thresholds |
A base level SCI is determined for each watershed that must be exceeded in
order to earn an enhancement. An enhancement is paid for costs of practices
that produce increases in SCI scores above the base level in 25% increments.
SCI has been shown in NRCS validation testing to be linked to soil carbon
change. Setting watershed thresholds for minimum SCI eliminates climatic
bias. Thresholds are determined using a standardized procedure to ensure
equity. This updates the existing SQI enhancement. |
|
Compaction Avoidance Through Controlled Traffic |
Controlled traffic helps avoid soil compaction problems, which are linked to
increased runoff and sedimentation and reduced yields. The enhancement pays
for a fraction of the cost to implement controlled traffic practices. |
|
Drainage Water Management |
Drainage water management activities control the level and timing of
drainage water out of fields with either surface or subsurface drainage. |
|
Salinity Management |
Level 1 - Assessment activities to determine the extent and severity of
salinity problems using EC testing of soil and irrigation water. Level 2 -
Conduct EMI mapping of fields subject salinity contamination. |
|
Irrigation Management |
Incremental improvements in irrigation efficiency by changing irrigation
method and/or management. |
|
Field Poly Tubing and Drip Tape Recycling |
Participate in a field poly tubing or drip tape recycling program in which
the producer rolls up his used field poly tubing or drip tape, stores it at
an on or off-site location approved by the recycling company until being
picked up. |
|
Remote Monitoring of Irrigation Pumping Plant |
The pumping plant monitoring system includes installation of necessary
sensors and communication package at the pump with an automated recording
and communication system. When combined the system monitors the status of
the watering system and notifies the owner/manager of system changes. |
|
Reduction of Evaporative Losses |
Use of methods (mulches, windbreaks, maintenance of high surface residue
levels and night time application of irrigation water) to reduce evaporative
losses as an integral part of an irrigation water management (IWM) system. |
|
Nutrients |
When enrolled in the Conservation Security Program (CSP), the producer can
receive payments for applying enhancement activities for Nutrient Management
and Waste Utilization. Payments for enhancement activities are subject to
CSP payment caps.
Acceptance of this enhancement requires a participant to develop or maintain
a Nutrient Management plan (NRCS 590) OR a Comprehensive Nutrient Management
Plan (CNMP) and a minimum of 2 nutrient management enhancements. The
enhancements must go beyond basic nutrient management by including a higher
level of management. Eligible nutrient management enhancements must be in
addition to or over and above activities documented in the Soil and Water
Quality Eligibility Tool. |
|
Pesticides |
Acceptance of this enhancement requires a participant to apply and/or
maintain a high level Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system or 2 or more
pesticide risk mitigation activities applicable to all enterprises. A high
level IPM system must go beyond basic pest management by including pest
prevention and avoidance mitigation techniques, and only utilize pest
suppression techniques when pest monitoring indicates that an economic pest
threshold has been exceeded. Mitigation techniques include both IPM
management techniques and Conservation Practices. Appropriate mitigation
is selected based on environmental risk evaluation with tools like the
Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 (RUSLE 2) for evaluating the use of
tillage for weed control, and the NRCS Windows Pesticide Screening Tool
(WIN-PST) for evaluating the use of pesticides. Cultural and biological
control techniques as well as lower risk pesticides and lower risk pesticide
application techniques are used when they are efficacious and cost
effective. If the requirement for two or more pesticide risk mitigation
activities is used for this enhancement payment, then the two activities
must be in addition to or over and above activities documented in the Soil
and Water Eligibility Tool. (See questions 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, and
20). |
|
Shallow Water Habitat Management |
Create shallow wetland habitats for use by amphibians, reptiles, and other
species to complete their life requisites (e.g., reproduction and feeding)
and to provide a water source for other wildlife species and aquatic
insects. These shallow (average 6-18 inches deep but not to exceed 30
inches) aquatic habitats will be buffered by perennial vegetation dense
enough to retard erosion and trap sediments before entering the shallow
water habitat. |
|
Widening of Buffers to Enhance Upland and
Aquatic Habitat |
Widen existing conservation buffers (e.g., filter strips, riparian buffers,
grassed waterways, field borders) that currently meet NRCS practice standard
criteria for the intended purpose by at least 30 feet. The extension will
be composed of at least 5 species of non-noxious, wildlife friendly grasses,
perennial forbs, shrubs, and\or trees best suited to site conditions to
provide food and cover for native species, and game species as appropriate,
and to enhance aquatic habitat by providing shade, input of wood or carbon
to the stream, or streambank conditions. |
|
Pollinator Areas |
Establish new or diversify existing habitat areas, including conservation
buffers, borders, edges, edges, corridors, or patches, with flowering plants
(forbs, legumes, shrubs, vines, and trees). A minimum of 10 different
species of native flowering plants (annuals and perennials) that provide
bloom diversity over the entire growing season will compose greater than 40%
of the stand. Compensation will be on a per acre basis. |
|
Fish and Wildlife Structures |
Construct or place structures such as bird boxes, bat boxes, brush piles, or
instream structures (logs, rocks, lunkers) that provide nesting, roosting,
wintering, or hiding cover for terrestrial or aquatic species. The
structures will be designed for species found in the area and will be sited
within or adjacent to appropriate habitat/cover. The structures will be
placed only where sufficient structure (natural or man-made) or habitat
complexity does not exist. The number and density of structures will be
based upon recognized management guidelines for targeted species, but will
be limited to a maximum of two per acre or 10 per contract. |
|
Managing Riparian Zones |
Incorporate conservation measures to protect fish and wildlife habitat in
riparian zones of rivers, streams, isolated wetlands, ponds, floodplain
wetlands, and lakes. These measures include employment of timed grazing
regimes to accommodate seasonal and life history needs of both terrestrial
and aquatic species (such as ground-nesting birds, neotropical migrants,
fish, amphibians, riparian reptiles, and other species of concern); fencing
to protect sensitive or recovering riparian vegetation, stream banks, and
water quality; re-location of equipment or activities out of riparian zones
and floodplains; riparian forest management to encourage recruitment of
large trees to the stream or river, and retention of snags and downed wood
for riparian wildlife; and removal of fish passage barriers. The number of
actions/measures will be based on recognized management guidelines for
targeted species, but will be limited to a maximum of 2 per acre or 10 per
contract. |
|
Wildlife Friendly Haying Management |
Incorporate conservation measures in hayland to provide a variety of habitat
conditions in patches to maximize wildlife use. These measures include
employment of timed haying and to avoid periods when upland wildlife are
nesting or fawning, idling hayland during the nesting or fawning period,
leaving a residual forage height conducive to wildlife nesting and fawning
for the following year, interseeding of native legumes and forbs or
conversion of exotic pasture/hayland plantings to a mixture of species which
meets the life history needs of the targeted grassland wildlife species. |
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