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C.E.A.P.

C.E.A.P. C onservation E ffects A ssessment P roject. Wayne M. Maresch Director Resources Inventory & Assessment Division USDA - NRCS. Measuring the Environmental Benefits of Conservation. The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). Scope of CEAP. LAND USE GROUPS

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C.E.A.P.

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  1. C.E.A.P. Conservation Effects Assessment Project Wayne M. Maresch Director Resources Inventory & Assessment Division USDA - NRCS

  2. Measuring the Environmental Benefits of Conservation The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)

  3. Scope of CEAP LAND USE GROUPS • Cropland, including CRP • Grazing lands • Wetlands

  4. Scope of CEAP RESOURCE CONCERNS • Water Quality • Soil Quality • Water Conservation • Air Quality • Wildlife Habitat • Ecosystem Health • Livestock Operations

  5. Scope of CEAP Conservation Programs: • EQIP Environmental Quality Incentives Program • CRP Conservation Reserve Program • WRP Wetlands Reserve Program • WHIP Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program • CTA Conservation Technical Assistance Program • CSP Conservation Security Program • GRP Grassland Reserve Program

  6. Why CEAP? • OMB requests for outcome reporting. • Increased demand for accountability reporting associated with the 2002 Farm Bill. • 2002 Farm Bill Conference Report. • Other voices both inside and outside of government were calling for better accountability. • NRCS Strategic Planning Deputy Area was developing a new performance reporting system that included effects of conservation practices.

  7. Challenges More research is needed on the effects of conservation practices, especially off-site effects. Existing databases are inadequate for use in quantifying the benefits of conservation practices. New databases need to be developed. For some land uses and resource concerns, analytical approaches need to be developed. Meeting these challenges is expensive and will take time.

  8. Implementing CEAP • Initial focus is on cropland, including CRP • Water Quality • Soil Quality • Water Conservation • The most common conservation practices will be addressed first. • As the project progresses, efforts will be made to expand the coverage of resource concerns, land uses, and conservation practices.

  9. Organization Chart for CEAP Interagency Advisory Group (ERS, ORACBA, FS, EPA, USGS, FWS, others) CEAP Executive Steering Committee (NRCS, ARS, NASS, FSA, CSREES) CEAP Steering Committee National Assessment Watershed Assessment Studies

  10. National Assessment The purpose of the national assessment is to provide an accounting of the environmental benefits obtained from USDA conservation programs for reporting at the national level. The focus is on developing approaches, methodologies, and databases to produce estimates of benefits based on scientific findings.

  11. Literature Review on the Effects of Conservation Practices • 4-volume annotated bibliography of publications that address the effects of conservation practices has been completed by the National Agricultural Library. (available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI/ceap) • Synthesis of cropland literature forthcoming • Synthesis of wildlife benefits forthcoming

  12. National Assessment Components • CEAP Cropland Component • CEAP Wetlands Component • CEAP Grazing Lands Component • CEAP Wildlife Component • CEAP Animal Waste Component

  13. Status of National Assessment Components

  14. Questions? Comments? Visit the CEAP Website at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/ceap

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