Conservation Security Program

1. Conservation Security Program Self Assessment Workbook

2. Producer Eligibility Do you share in the risk of producing crops or livestock on this operation? Must materially participate and share in the risk of producing any crop or livestock Entitled to share in the crop or livestock available for marketing or would have shared had the crop or livestock been produced Landlords who receive only cash rent are not currently eligible to apply for CSP on that acreage

3. Producer Eligibility Are you entitled to share in the crop or livestock available for marketing from the agriculture operation? Definition: “Agricultural land, and other lands determined by the NRCS Chief, under the control of the participant and operated with equipment, labor, accounting systems, and management that is substantially separate from any other unit.”

4. Producer Eligibility Do you have control of some or all of the land you manage for the life of the proposed 5 to 10 year contract period? CSP participant does not need to own eligible land but must demonstrate control as shown through ownership, lease or proof of a long-standing relationship

5. Producer Eligibility Is your average adjusted gross income less than or equal to $2.5 million, or if greater than $2.5 million, did 75% come from farming, ranching or forestry? Average adjusted gross income for the 3 tax years preceding the year the CSP contract is approved

6. Land Eligibility Is at least part of your land private agricultural land or Tribal land? Public land is not eligible for CSP Private agricultural land includes cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture and rangeland Forested land that is an incidental part of an agricultural operation may be eligible

7. Land Eligibility Is your land in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions of the 1985 Farm Bill? Answer NA if not Highly Erodible Land (HEL) or if not considered wetlands

8. Land Eligibility Was your cropland used for crop production or considered cropland as part of a long-term rotation for 4 out of the last 6 years prior to May 13, 2002? Must be planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity Considered cropland is land that is in cropland or set aside for cropland. May be hayland that is part of a long-term rotation

9. Land Eligibility Is this land currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program or Grassland Reserve Program? Land enrolled in CRP, WRP or GRP cannot be part of the CSP contract but other land in your operation may be eligible.

10. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you keep written records or documentation of your nutrient management activities for each field, such as yields, soil analysis, plant tissue analysis and nutrients applied – including animal waste? At least two years of records must be provided

11. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Are you managing nutrients (for example, adding supplemental nitrogen) by following a nutrient management plan or schedule that budgets nutrients based on soil and crop needs, and environmental risks? Plan accounts for amount, source, timing and method of applying nutrients according to University of Minnesota recommendations

12. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you conduct soil tests and/or plant tissue tests?

13. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If you have abandoned or active water wells in your cropland, orchard or vineyard, have you taken adequate steps to protect ground water?

14. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If you land apply animal manure or waste, are you following a waste utilization plan that includes adequate setbacks from surface waters and other hydrologically-active areas (including sinkholes, karst topography, ground water recharge areas, wetlands and wellheads)?

15. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If cropland, vineyards or orchards are grazed, are you managing livestock access to rivers, streams and other surface water?

16. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If cropland, vineyards or orchards are grazed, are you following a grazing plan which includes the following? Selecting kinds of domestic animals suited to the terrain, climate and other existing grazing area conditions Optimizing grazing distribution through placement of watering facilities, fences or herding techniques

17. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Other grazing plan criteria Identifying periods of grazing, rest and other treatment for each management unit Identifying and maintaining adequate cover on sensitive areas (riparian, wetland and other habitats of concern) Not negatively impacting any cultural resource or sensitive species Identifying and monitoring key areas and key plants to evaluate grazing management decisions

18. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If cropland, vineyards or orchards are grazed, are livestock prevented from direct access to sinkholes, unprotected wells, or other direct conduits to ground water?

19. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you keep written records or documentation of your pesticide application and pest control methods for each field? At least two years of records are required

20. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Are you following a pest management plan or schedule that includes, as needed, insects, invasive species and weeds? Pest management plan can include rate, method, timing, risk assessment, integrated pest management, appropriate mitigation and recordkeeping

21. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Are you scouting for pests and using the information as a basis for applying pesticides?

22. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Have you assessed the environmental risks of pesticide use on your cropland, vineyards or orchards, and addressed any risks with appropriate measures? NRCS will assist with risk assessment through WIN-PST program or a similar assessment tool

23. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you grow high residue crops at least 1 in 3 years in rotation, apply a mulch, use a cover crop annually, and/or have hay/pasture in rotation? High residue crops can include corn, small grains or hay

24. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you include any of the following in your crop rotation: No-till, strip-till, direct seeding or mulch-till Perennial sod or hay in rotation Add organic soil amendments such as manure or compost Grow cover and green manure crops to add biomass to the soil If none of the above, do your soil tests indicate an increase in organic matter?

25. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If you are in an area of saline or sodic soils, do you monitor soil salinity levels? This is not an issue for the <Put your watershed name here> Watershed Should be answered NA

26. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards If you have saline soils, do you use one or more of these techniques to manage salinity: managing your irrigation and drainage water, deep tillage, crop selection, reduction in fallow, and/or soil amendments or planting salt tolerant crops? Question should be NA

27. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you avoid operating equipment in your cropland, vineyards or orchards when soils are wet to reduce soil compaction?

28. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Is sheet and rill erosion controlled?

29. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Is wind erosion controlled?

30. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Have you stabilized or treated ephemeral erosion or classic gullies on your operation?

31. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you inspect and make repairs to your irrigation system at least annually? Do you keep records of irrigation dates and irrigation amounts applied relative to the crop growth stage?

32. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Do you adjust your irrigation management for nutrient and pesticide applications? Do you control irrigation induced erosion, by using a cover crop, perennial cover, polyacrylamide (PAM), residue management or irrigation water management?

33. Cropland (including Hayland), Vineyards or Orchards Are you following an irrigation water management plan?

34. Pastureland Managing Fertilizers and Nutrients

35. Pastureland Other grazing plan criteria Identifying periods of grazing, rest and other treatment for each management unit Identifying and maintaining adequate cover on sensitive areas (riparian, wetland and other habitats of concern) Not negatively impacting any cultural resource or sensitive species Identifying and monitoring key areas and key plants to evaluate grazing management decisions

36. Pastureland Is forage availability balanced with livestock and wildlife demands (forage and animal balance, including a forage production estimate, has been made, livestock numbers are identified and wildlife numbers are estimated)?

37. Pastureland Do you conduct soil tests and/or plant tissue tests? Are you managing nutrients (for example, adding supplemental N) by following a nutrient management plan or schedule that budgets nutrients based on soil and plant needs and environmental risk?

38. Pastureland Do you keep written records or documentation of your pasture management activities for each field, such as grazing intensity, frequency, and duration of grazing periods, forage yields, livestock needs, soil analysis and nutrients applied, including manure?

39. Pastureland If you have abandoned or active water wells in your pasture, have you taken adequate steps to protect ground water? Are livestock prevented from direct access to sinkholes, unprotected wells, or other direct conduits to ground water to protect water quality?

40. Pastureland If you land apply animal manure or waste, are you following a waste utilization plan that includes adequate setbacks from surface waters and other hydrologically-active areas (including sinkholes, karst topography, seeps, ground water recharge areas, wetlands and wellheads, etc.)?

41. Pastureland Are you managing livestock access to rivers, streams and other surface water? Managing access to prevent degradation of the streambank through such activities as livestock ramps or points, limiting use of riparian pastures or use exclusion

42. Pastureland Managing Pests Have you assessed the environmental risks of pesticide use on your pasture and addressed any risks with appropriate measures?

43. Pastureland Do you keep written records or documentation of your pesticide application and pest control methods for each grazed area – pertaining to pesticide use and insect populations?

44. Pastureland Do you control noxious weeds and undesirable brush species? When you control noxious weeds and undesirable brush species, are you following a pest management plan that includes measures to protect water quality?

45. Pastureland Do you manage grazing or pastureland to avoid soil compaction? Is sheet and rill erosion controlled? Is wind erosion controlled?

46. Pastureland Have you treated or stabilized classic gullies on your operation? If you are in an area of saline or sodic soils, do you monitor soil salinity levels?

47. Pastureland Do you manage salinity through one or more of the following: subsurface drainage, use of soil amendments or use appropriate crops (salt tolerant forage)? Do you manage pasture access roads and trails to limit soil erosion?

48. Pastureland Do you control irrigation induced erosion? Do you inspect and make repairs to your irrigation system at least annually? Do you adjust your irrigation management for nutrient and pesticide applications?

49. Pastureland Are you following an irrigation water management plan?

50. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas This section is not required, except for the highest level of CSP Questions in this section pertain if you wish to enroll your entire operation in CSP and help to determine if other areas within your operation meet basic program requirements

51. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Do you inspect for leaks in pipelines, manure storage or transfer facilities and equipment? May include but not limited to: lagoons, runoff ponds, storage sheds, stockpiles, under house or pit storages, liquid impoundments and composting piles

52. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Do you manage runoff from manure handling and feed handling areas? Manure handling areas are manure is loaded or moved for transport for storage Feed handling areas are areas where foodstuffs for cattle are stored and transported for distribution

53. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Do you control runoff from traps, lots and other livestock concentration areas? Livestock in a confined area, such as a feedlot or drylot, and given supplemental feed for all of their nutritional needs Do you properly dispose of livestock mortalities?

54. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Wells Is the wellhead location appropriate and protection components in place for all potential sources of contamination? Sanitary well cap, tightly secured with a screened vent Pitless adaptor Other state identified components Surface runoff cannot reach the area immediately surrounding the well

55. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Is your well cased? Does the well casing extend above the ground (meets State and local standards)? Are all abandoned wells properly plugged?

56. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Fertilizer/Pesticide Storage and Handling Areas Is the well located a safe distance from the fertilizer/pesticide storage site and/or mixing and loading areas? If the fertilizer/pesticide storage site is located on highly permeable soil (sandy soil), is there secondary containment?

57. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas Is rinse water from cleaning fertilizer/pesticide application equipment properly disposed of? Are used pesticide containers properly disposed of?

58. Farmstead, Headquarters or Livestock Feeding and Handling Areas If you answered other than “yes” or “na” to any of the previous questions, you may not eligible for CSP at this time.

59. Evaluation Complete If you are not eligible at this time Use assessment to identify a smaller portion of land that may be eligible Identify remaining conservation work outlined in your conservation plan Work with NRCS office to develop plan if you do not have one in place Look at other conservation programs for assistance in completing conservation practices that may help you become eligible Obtain technical assistance from NRCS

60. Describe your operation Describe the fields or portion of your farm that you are proposing for CSP Describe crop rotation and associated tillage Pasture rotation and associated grass management Describe any new or innovative activities, techniques or methods in your operation

61. Step 4 - Application Bring following to local NRCS office Completed workbook Plan map or aerial photo of your operation Identification and location of practices installed Written records and documentation (at least 2 yrs) Number of acres and crop rotations for each field Management activities being used Nutrient Management Pest Management Grazing Management Haying

62. Application Additional items to take to NRCS office Application amounts and rates for fertilizers, pesticides, manure application, etc. Location of wells, roads, windbreaks, storage buildings, etc. If you do not own the land, copies of agreements that refer to the land being offered in CSP Lease Power of attorney Letter from landowner indicating that you have control of farming operation

63. Congratulations SELF ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED For those not eligible at this time, identify those missing components and prepare yourself for the future