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Home , Soil conservation

What’s in a Conservation Plan? What will it cost? Natural Conservation Service A conservation plan includes: It will cost you nothing to get your conservation Helping People Help the plan. This service is provided by the U.S.  an aerial photo or diagram of your fields; Department of Agriculture Natural Resources  a list of your management decisions; Conservation Service in cooperation with your  the location of and schedule for applying local Conservation District. new conservation practices;  a and soil descriptions; Some conservation practices, such as changing  information sheets explaining how to your , stripcropping and contour carry out your specific management farming may only require a change in the way you decisions; operate your farm. Other conservation practices, If you participate in USDA programs or the state Farmland Preservation Program, it is very important  a plan for operation and maintenance of such as grassed waterways and terraces, may that you keep your conservation plan up to date. As a practices, if needed. require additional investment. But part of the cost program participant you are required to certify every of these practices may be shared through federal, year that you are following your schedule. Benefits of a Conservation Plan state and local cost-sharing programs. Following your conservation plan has many For other practices, such as conservation , benefits: you may need to invest in different tillage or To learn more about conservation  You will protect your soil and your farm’s planting equipment. In some cases, you may be planning, contact USDA, Natural productivity; able to adapt your existing equipment for Resources Conservation Service or the You will help improve quality of the conservation tillage. Soil Conservation District that serves What is a  your county. Trained conservationists in your area; Identify Cost Share Opportunities are available to meet with you.  You will improve your soil’s and Conservation Plan? manage ; A conservation plan can help you decide which NRCS office locations, updated program A conservation plan is a tool designed to help  You may attract desirable by state or federal cost share assistance programs information and applications are you better manage the natural resources on creating nesting sites and winter cover; would be suitable for your operation. Your local available online at NRCS or Soil Conservation District office can your farm. An NRCS conservationist will meet  You will protect the productive value of assist you. http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov. with you to evaluate the soil, water, air, and your land for future generations; animal resources on your property and offer  You can more readily comply with

Maintaining and Updating Your Plan several alternatives to address the "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all environmental regulatory requirements; After you have made your decisions and the its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, conditions. The alternatives you decide to use are  You may be eligible for USDA farm disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, recorded in your conservation plan which includes conservation plan is complete, you will receive parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political programs. your copy. Another confidential copy will remain beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is a schedule for installation. on file at your NRCS office. derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative Implementing the conservation plan will help you Changes in markets, weather, or technology may means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, protect the environment on and off your farm. You make the decisions. The NRCS cause you to reconsider some of the choices you audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720- 2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to conservationist can show you many made in your plan. If something happens that would USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., good alternatives and make force you to change your decisions, you need to Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer." NRCS technical experts can help you some economic comparisons, but revise your plan. Contact your local Natural develop a conservation plan you decide what you want to do, Resources Conservation Service office to discuss for your farm. any changes you propose. February 2010 when and how. Example Conservation Plan What will you need to do? For a Grain-Beef Farm You will need to know your crop sequence – what You raise corn and soybeans and maintain a herd crops you plan to grow in each field. You’ll also of beef cattle. You moldboard plow and disk in the need to provide information on how your land is spring, and plan to continue growing cash grain farmed, what kind of tillage equipment you use, on most of your acreage. There are several fields existing conservation practices, and your crop and on your farm and you want to control soil . livestock plans for the future. Calculating soil loss on your field How is a plan developed? The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation estimates the amount of caused by With the soil conservationist, you will analyze your water. Five factors are used to figure soil loss: Before: farm, field by field. You will learn the soil types on Corn-soybean rotation your farm, the slope and slope lengths of each rainfall Moldboard plow field. The Revised Universal Soil Loss equation soil erodibility Up and down hill Erosion = 8 tons/acre/year will be used to find out how much soil is eroding Soil Loss slope length and steepness on each field. cropping and management RECORD OF COOPERATOR DECISIONS erosion control practices Conservation planning makes a difference. Field Date Narrative Record You make the decisions and row direction If your field had a 5% slope and a slope length of With your help, the conservationist will inventory CROPLAND 200 feet, a tolerable soil loss might be the resource conditions existing on your farm. Notice that only the last two factors, cropping and Conservation Crop Rotation – 1,2 2010 3 tons per acre per year. But, you and the NRCS They will help you interpret the information about management and erosion control practices, are in Corn 3 yr – Soybean 2 yr professional assess the field and calculate that Stripcropping - 86’ wide strips to your land, its soil, and production capability. You your complete control. These are things you can 1 2010 8 tons per acre per year are being lost. A few can discuss resource concerns and solutions, field change to reduce soil erosion. fit equipment adjustments in your practices can improve your Residue Management – No till - by field. 2 2011 operation by significantly reducing soil loss. Options to reduce erosion 60% residue left after planting Then you will decide what changes you can make After working the Revised Universal Soil Loss 1 2011 Grassed Waterway to protect and improve your land. The soil Equation, you realize that excessive soil erosion Contour Farming – Grain crops 3 2010 conservationist will help you by offering a variety occurs on a field. planted on the contour of choices, based on the NRCS Field Office 1. You could farm close to the contour instead – Apply Technical Guide for your county. of up and down hill, chisel plow instead of 1,2,3 2012 nutrients according to moldboard plow, and install a grassed results and yield goals Next, you will set up a reasonable schedule for waterway. The waterway will stop the PASTURE applying any needed conservation practices. It gullying in the lower part of the field. may be several years before all your practices are Prescribed Grazing – Maintain 5 2010 optimum forage quality through installed. In addition to controlling soil erosion, you 2. You could use no-till planting and install a system. can get assistance on other resources concerns, grassed waterway. such as pasture and woodland improvement, WOODLAND After: 3. You could construct tile outlet terraces and managing animal waste, wildlife habitat, Wildlife Upland Habitat Corn-soybean rotation moldboard plow on the contour. water management, and stream bank 4 2010 Management – Create openings Chisel plow protection. 4. You could add a close-grown crop, such as for quail habitat Contour farming winter wheat, to your corn-soybean FARMSTEAD Grassed waterway rotation, chisel plow on the contour, and 6 2011 Waste Storage Facility Erosion = 2 tons/acre/year install a grassed waterway.