CEAP National Assessment
The National Assessment component of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)
will provide scientifically credible estimates of the environmental benefits obtained
from USDA conservation programs. The National Assessment component has two goals:
- Provide NRCS and the conservation community with quantitative estimates
of the benefits of conservation practices for national and regional reporting.
- Assess the potential for existing conservation programs and future alternatives
to meet the Nation’s environmental and conservation goals.
Currently, there are four active components within the National Assessment:
USDA expects to make progress on establishing an animal waste component
this year.
Status of National Assessment Components
| Cropland | Wetlands | Wildlife | Grazing lands |
Establish taskforce |
Completed | Completed | Completed | In process |
Develop approach |
Completed | Completed |
Completed |
In process |
Plan of work |
Draft
|
In process |
Completed |
* |
Data collection |
In process | In process | In process | * |
Modeling / estimation |
In process | In process |
In process |
* |
Reporting | * | * | * | * |
* These steps are contingent upon the completion of preceding steps. |
This chart provides an overview of the current status of the four active components
of the National Assessment. There are six basic steps in the CEAP process of producing
national-level estimates. The process starts by assembling a taskforce of subject-area
experts to determine how to best proceed. This taskforce evaluates existing databases
and defines the analytical approach as well as data needs. A subset of the taskforce
then prepares a detailed plan of work specifying the various tasks and who will do them
and when. Implementing the plan has three basic steps: 1) data collection, 2) development
and application of models or estimation procedures, and 3) reporting results.
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