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National Planning Procedures Handbook

Subpart F, Part 600.75
Draft Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning Technical Guidance

Subpart C - Exhibits
Exhibit 15, Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan - Format and Content

A comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) should address all land units that the animal feeding operation (AFO) owner/operator owns or has decision-making authority over and on which manure and organic by-products will be generated, handled, stored, or applied. This Exhibit describes the general contents of a CNMP and lists suggested items under each major section. The intent of this guidance is to help to maintain quality and provide appropriate documentation of a CNMP.  The precise content of a CNMP will vary as it is tailored to the meet the needs of the AFO owner and/or operator.

Contents of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan

  1.  Site information

  • Names, phone numbers, and addresses of the AFO owner(s) and operator(s).

  • Location of production site: legal description, driving instructions from nearest post office, and the emergency 911 coordinates.

  • Farmstead sketch.

  • Plat map or local proximity map (Optional).

  • Emergency action plan covering: fire, personal injury , manure storage and handling, and land application operations.

  • Operation procedures specific to the production site and practices.

  • Existing documentation of present facility components that would aid in evaluating existing conditions, capacities, etc. (i.e., as-built plans, year installed, number of animals a component was originally designed for, etc.).

  1. Production information

  • Animal types, phases of production, and length of confinement for each type at this site.

  • Animal count and average weight for each phase of production on this site.

  • Calculated manure and wastewater volumes for this site.

  • Manure storage type, volume, and approximate length of storage.

  1. Applicable permits or certifications

  • Federal, Tribal, State or local permits and/or ordinances. 

  • Operator or manager certifications. 

  • Manure applicator certifications.

  • Record of inspections or site assessments. 

  • Changes made to CNMP .

  1. Land application site information

  • Date plan prepared.

  • Written manure application agreements. (Where Applicable).

  • Aerial maps of land application area.

  • Individual field maps with marked set backs, buffers, and waterways, and environmentally sensitive areas, such as sinkholes, wells, gullies, tile inlets, etc.

  • Landowner names, addresses, and phone numbers.

  • Legal description of land sites, including watershed codes. 

  • Specific and unique field identification codes. 

  • Land use designation.

  • Soil map, with appropriate interpretations

  • Risk assessments for potential nitrogen or phosphorus transport from fields. (See the NRCS GM 190, Part 402, Nutrient Management, Section 402.07).

  • Land treatment practices planned and applied, and level of treatment they provide.

  1. Manure application plans

  • Crop types, realistic yield targets, and expected nutrient uptake amounts.

  •  Application equipment descriptions and methods of application.

  • Expected application seasons and estimated days of application per season.

  • Estimated application amounts per acre (volume in gallons or tons per acre, and pounds of plant available nitrogen, phosphorous as P205, and potassium as K20 per acre).

  • Estimate of acres needed to apply manure generated on this site, respecting any guidelines published for nitrogen or phosphorous soil loading limits.

  1. Actual activity records

  • Soil tests -not more than 5 years old.

  • Manure test annually for each individual manure storage containment.

  • Planned and applied rates, methods of application, and timing (month and year) of nutrients applied. (Include all sources of nutrients, i.e., manure, commercial fertilizers, etc.).

  • Current and planned crop rotation.

  • Weather conditions during nutrient application. (Optional).

  • General soil moisture condition at time of application (i.e., saturated, wet, moist, dry). (Optional).

  • Actual crop and yield harvest from manure application sites.

  • Record of internal inspections for manure system components. 

  • Record of any spill events.

  1. Mortality disposal

  • Plan for mortality disposal.

  • Methods and equipment used to implement the disposal plan.

  1. Operation and Maintenance

  • Detailed operation and maintenance procedures for the conservation systems, holding facility , etc., contained in the CNMP .This would include procedures as calibration of land application equipment, storage facility emptying schedule, soil and manure sampling techniques, etc.



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