WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2004—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released its revised “not to exceed” (NTE)
payment rates for certified technical service providers. Generally, payment
rates have increased and there is greater flexibility in their use.
The 2002 Farm Bill expanded the availability of technical assistance to
producers by encouraging the use of third party technical service providers to
assist USDA in delivering conservation technical services to farmers and
ranchers. NTE rates are used when landowners contract with certified technical
service providers in the private sector.
“We revised the NTE rates after considering public comments received from the
first release in August 2003,” NRCS Chief Bruce Knight said. “As a result, we
have increased rates, built in more flexibility for their use and significantly
reduced inconsistencies in payment rates among neighboring states and regions.”
NRCS established NTE payment rates for categories of technical services for each
state. To ensure consistency across state lines, the agency reviewed payment
rates between adjacent states where similar resource conditions and agricultural
operations exist, taking into account differences in state laws, cost of doing
business, competition and other variables.
NRCS also updated its Technical Assistance Cost of Conservation Practices (TACCP)
database, used to develop the payment rates. TACCP reflects the agency’s total
cost to provide technical assistance for conservation practices. It uses cost
information of sub-state areas, which reflect common natural resource,
regulatory, geographic, social and economic factors. These factors affect the
time needed to plan and implement conservation practices.
These revised payment rates apply to new contracts through calendar year 2005.
Existing contracts will continue to use the 2003 payment rates. NRCS state
conservationists can adjust NTE payment rates with adequate justification and
documentation.
The revised NTE rates can be found at http://www.tsp-nte.nrcs.usda.gov/tspnte2/.
The 2003 NTE rates can be found at http://www.tsp-nte.nrcs.usda.gov/TSPNTE03Archive/.
Comments on the payment rates will be accepted at any time. Please send comments
to Liu-Hsiung Chuang, USDA-NRCS, Resource Economics and Social Sciences
Division, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 6141-S, Washington, D.C. 20250,
phone: 202-720-7076 or Liu-Hsiung.Chuang@usda.gov. Information on the technical
service provider process can be found at http://techreg.usda.gov.
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