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1. Attachment 3 to Bulletin KS300-13-61 dated 6/11/2013 <County> Local Work Group<Date> Name Title Location, Kansas Your.Name@ks.usda.gov www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov Helping People Help the Land

2. Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Preparation • The state conservationist (STC) is seeking local work group (LWG) recommendations for Farm Bill Programs: • Resource concerns to be addressed • Eligible practices to be offered • Payment rates (e.g., 50 percent or 75 percent cost share) • Ranking criteria to be considered • The STC is accepting comments to be forwarded to national headquarters (NHQ) for National and Landscape Initiatives.

3. FY 2014 Preparation • Cutoff Dates • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) General―dates to be announced. (The goal is to stay consistent with the mid–November cutoff date from the previous years.) • Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) dates to be announced. • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) dates not yet known. • EQIP and WHIP Initiative dates to be announced.

4. Farm Bill Programs • EQIP • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) • Kansas has 3 approved/active AWEP Proposals. • CSP • WHIP • This program may be combined with EQIP in the new Farm Bill.

5. EQIP

6. EQIP Overview • EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. • 60 percent of funds must be obligated to address livestock–related issues. • Kansas currently has 11 different ranking categories under general EQIP that offer financial assistance to address various resource concerns. • Conservation plans received prior to August 31 receive additional ranking points.

7. EQIP2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 2,432 applications received (includes all EQIP General ranking categories) • 542 contracts approved • Approximately $10.9 million obligated • 102,418 total contracted acres

8. EQIP Ranking Categories • Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs) contracts are available for the development of the following: • Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan • Drainage Water Management • Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Plan • Forest Management Plan • Integrated Pest Management Plan • Irrigation Water Management Plan • Nutrient Management Plan • Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Management Plan • Transition from Irrigation to Dryland Plan

9. EQIP General Ranking Categories • Forestland Health • Grazing Lands Health • Livestock Waste • Sedimentation Above Federal Reservoirs • Stream System Restoration (eligible watershed is in Lyon County) • Tribal • Soil Health • Water Quantity/Quick Response Areas (QRA) • Water Quality • Water Quantity • Wildlife Habitat

10. EQIPGeneral Ranking Categories • The STC requests input for the following: • Eligible Practices • Resource Concerns • Primary Resource Concerns • Secondary Resource Concerns • Payment Rates • Ranking Criteria

11. AWEP

12. AWEP Overview • AWEP is a voluntary conservation initiative that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality.

13. AWEP Overview • AWEP operates through partnership agreements with state and local government organizations. • Each partner determines in their proposal: • Eligible Practices • Resource Concerns • Payment Rates • Ranking Criteria • Eligible Project Area

15. AWEP2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 48 applications received includes: • Cancelled • Ineligible • Pending applications • 25 contracts approved • $2,689,143 total obligations • Over 3,442 total contracted acres

16. CSP

17. CSP Overview • The purpose of this program is for producers to address resource concerns by: • Completing new conservation practices • Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities • Annual enhancement payments are offered and vary according to the signup.

18. CSP Overview • CSP is a nationally managed program which means suggestions are accepted, but the following are predetermined by the agency when the program is announced: • Eligible Enhancements • Resource Concerns • Payment Rates • Ranking Criteria

19. CSP2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • The FY2013 cutoff date has not been announced; therefore no accomplishments to report thus far.

20. National and Landscape Initiatives

21. National and Landscape Initiatives • The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offered nine different initiatives that Kansas took part in to address specific resource concerns in FY2013.

22. National Initiatives • On-Farm Energy Initiative—EQIP • Organic Initiative—EQIP • Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative—EQIP • Water Quality Initiative—EQIP • Edge–of–Field Monitoring Initiative —EQIP

23. National On-Farm Energy Initiative–EQIP

24. National On-Farm Energy InitiativeOverview • Designed to specifically address energy conservation and assist producers in two ways: • Identify ways to conserve energy on farms through an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP) CAP, also known as an on-farm energy audit. 2. Provide assistance to implement various recommended measures through the use of conservation practices (CPs) offered through this initiative, such as CP 374, Farmstead Energy Improvement.

25. National On-Farm Energy Initiative2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 40 total applications received • 10 contracts approved in cutoff #1 • All eligible applications approved • All contracts for AgEMP CAPs • $23,116 total obligations in cutoff #1 • Approximately 39,718 total contracted acres • Cutoff #2 contracts have not been obligated • 17 applications in cutoff #2

26. National Organic Initiative - EQIP

27. National Organic InitiativeOverview • Assist eligible producers with installation of conservation practices to treat resource concerns on agricultural operations related to organic production. • Includes: • Certified organic producers • Producers transitioning to organic • Exempt organic producers (less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural production)

28. National Organic Initiative2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • Six total applications received • Zero contracts approved in cutoff #1 • No eligible applications • 5 cancelled applications • Cutoff #2 contracts have not been obligated • 1 application in cutoff #2

29. National Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative—EQIP

30. National Seasonal High Tunnel InitiativeOverview • Assist producers to extend the growing season for high value crops in an environmentally safe manner. • Potential to assist producers in addressing a resource concern by improving plant quality, improving soil quality, and reducing nutrient and pesticide transport.

31. National Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 75 total applications received • 42 contracts approved in cutoff #1 • All eligible applications approved • $262,717 total obligations in cutoff #1 • Approximately 243 total contracted acres • Cutoff #2 contracts have not been obligated • 20 applications in cutoff #2

32. National Water Quality Initiative - EQIP

33. National Water Quality InitiativeOverview • Assist producers with addressing high-priority water resource concerns in small watersheds. • NWQI will accelerate efforts to improve water quality in hydrologic unit code (HUC) 12-digit watersheds with targeted waters emphasizing treatment of nutrient, sediment, and pathogen concerns. • The following three HUC-12 watersheds were selected in Kansas: • Big Creek—Ellis County • Emma Creek—Harvey and McPherson Counties • Grasshopper Creek—Atchison, Brown, Jefferson Counties

35. National Water Quality Initiative2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • Cutoff #1 • 42 applications • Over $1.3 million requested • Cutoff #2 • Additional applications received

36. Edge–of–FieldWaterQuality Monitoring—EQIP

37. Edge–Of–Water Quality MonitoringOverview • Three primary purposes: • Evaluate conservation system performance • Validate and calibrate models • Inform on-farm adaptive management • New Conservation Activities: • 201, Edge-of-Field Water Quality Monitoring—Data Collection and Evaluation • 202, Edge-of-Field Water Quality Monitoring—System Installation • Headwaters Grasshopper Creek , Brown County • National Water Quality Initiative HUC-12

38. Landscape Initiatives • Drought Recovery Initiative—EQIP • Water Quantity and Drought Pilot—EQIP • Ogallala Aquifer Initiative—EQIP • Working Lands for Wildlife—Lesser Prairie-Chicken—WHIP

39. Drought Recovery Initiative—EQIP

40. Drought Recovery InitiativeOverview • Eight states nationwide including Kansas. • Support efforts that will mitigate short-term or long-term drought relief for producers. • The NRCS in Kansas will emphasize assistance to producers with grazing lands health and livestock water concerns.

41. Water Quantity and Drought Pilot—EQIP

42. Water Quantity and Drought PilotOverview • Secretary of Agriculture announced a new NRCS pilot effort in Colorado and Kansas that will address water quantity resource concerns using the conservation planning process. • Identify least–cost conservation alternatives to address water quantity needs, identify existing practices to address these needs. • When applicable, consider using a new interim practice that may be used to reestablish needed water–holding capacity to structures, as allowed under applicable state and local laws.

43. Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (OAI)—EQIP

44. Ogallala Aquifer InitiativeOverview • The OAI is designed to reduce the quantity of water removed from the aquifer and to improve water quality using conservation practices on cropland and rangeland. • Priority areas* defined in OAI proposal: • Water Quantity • Greater than 25 foot of groundwater decline • Water Quality • 60 percent or greater chance of nitrate levels exceeding 4 ppm in recent groundwater recharge *based on analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey

46. Ogallala Aquifer Initiative2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 101 applications received—includes cancelled and ineligible applications • 10 contracts approved • $1,388,239 total obligations • Approximately 2,157 total contracted acres

47. Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW)Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC)

48. WLFW—LPCOverview • WLFW is an effort between the NRCS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that leverages capabilities and resources and targets assistance where it is most needed. • Eight species targeted nationwide. • In Kansas the Lesser Prairie-Chicken was selected and the eligible area was determined by a multi-state group (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas).

50. WLFW - LPC2013 Preliminary Accomplishments • 62 total applications received • 24 contracts approved in cutoff #1 • All eligible applications approved • $708,034 total obligations in cutoff #1 • Approximately 23,944 total contracted acres • Cutoff #2 contracts have not been obligated • 19 applications in cutoff #2