Agriculture and Water Quality Where Are We ? And Where Are We Going? Dan D. Lawson Branch Chief, Conservation and Watershed Planning, NRCS

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Agriculture and Water Quality Where Are We ?
And Where Are We Going?Dan D. LawsonBranch
Chief, Conservation and Watershed Planning, NRCS
Its The Water WorkshopSeptember 13-15,
2005 Hannibal, Missouri
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Mission

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service
  provides leadership in a partnership effort to
  help people conserve, maintain, and improve our
  natural resources and environment.

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Where Are We?
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Staffing

• 11,804 permanent full-time employees
• 93 at the state level or below
• 2,536 field offices

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FY-2005 Funding(Dollars in thousands)

• Discretionary Funds 1,241,662
• Mandatory Funds 1,955,496
• NRCS Reimbursables 70,467
• TOTAL 3,267,625

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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
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Environmental Challenges - Agriculture

• Water quality (nutrients, sediment, pathogens,
  etc.)
• Water quantity (too little or too much)
• Air quality (odor, particulates, etc.),
  greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration
• Invasive Species
• Energy production and conservation
• Urban / rural interface

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USDA Policy

• Food and Agricultural Policy Taking Stock for
  the New Century (September 2001)
• A portfolio approach
• Land retirement
• Stewardship
• Conservation compliance
• Regulatory assistance
• carefully designedeach where most
  appropriate...

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Types of Conservation Programs in the 2002 Farm
Bill

• Conservation Portfolio
• Technical Assistance
• Easement Programs
• Cost-Share Programs
• Stewardship Program
• Grants for Innovation

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Highlights Implementation of the Conservation
Title through Conservation Programs

• 21 major rules completed
• National and local priorities established
• New approaches implemented
• Conservation Security Program
• Grant Programs (CIG, Biomass)
• Technical Service Providers
• Program management performance incentives
  initiated (EQIP)
• Program delivery costs reduced
• NRCS reorganized for efficiency/effectiveness

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Highlights Science, Technology Management
Advancements

• Producer self-assessment tool (CSP)
• ProTracts for contract management (EQIP, CSP,
  WHIP, AMA)
• Management intensity (EQIP and CSP enhancements)
• Soil Conditioning index (CSP)
• Conservation Effects Assessment Project
• Conservation planning sign-up pilot project

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Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP)

• The conservation cost- share work horse in the
  NRCS tool box
• Approximately 1 billion in 2005
• Typically a 50-75 cost-share rate
• Practices and rates determined on state level
  with local input

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EQIP National Conservation Priorities

• Reduction of non-point source pollutants,
  reduction of groundwater contamination, and
  conservation of ground and surface water
  resources
• Reduction of emissions that contribute to air
  quality impairment
• Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from
  unacceptable levels on agricultural lands
• Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation

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EQIP FY-2005 Applications Contracts
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EQIP FY-2004 Cost-Share Payments by Natural
Resource Concerns
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Stewardship Program

• Conservation Security Program

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CSP A Three-Tiered Program

• Protect soil and water quality on part of your
  operation
• Protect soil and water quality on all of your
  operation
• (Plus Agree to address one other resource
  concern)
• Protect all natural resources on all of your
  operation
• (Plus Agree to additional activities)

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2004 2005 CSP Watersheds
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CSP Implementation FY-2005

• First available in 2004 in 18 watersheds, 2005 in
  220
• 12,700 participants/contracts
• 9.0 million acres enrolled
• 202 million available 11,500/yr/average
  contract
• 51 in Tier I
• 28 in Tier II
• 21 in Tier III

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CSP Implementation FY-2006

• States provided input to Chief on watershed
  priorities for 2006 on June 15, 2005
• Chief reviewed 2006 watershed selection proposals
  and made a recommendation on August 25th to USDA
• USDA announced 110 watersheds for FY 2006
• Watersheds represent 137,000 eligible farms and
  ranches covering 50 million acres
• Sign-up period will take place early in FY 2006

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CRP Contract Expiration
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Planned CRP Activities

• USDA will issue a policy on contract
  extensions/re-enrollments by end of FY-2005
  (General CRP)
• USDA will issue a policy on re-enrollment of
  Continuous CRP and CREP by end of FY-2005
• USDA may postpone this years Fall General
  Sign-up until early in calendar year 2006
• USDA is continuing to look at tasks/activities to
  streamline (all provisions of CRP)

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CEAP Watershed Assessment Studies 2004
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Where Are We Going?
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NEXT FARM BILL(Per Chief Bruce Knight)

• Even more emphasis on
• Working lands (conservation and economic
  sustainability)
• Incentives
• Voluntary efforts to negate need for additional
  regulation
• Efficient program administration
• Measurable results
• Meeting water quality/quantity, wetlands, and
  forest health objectives

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Preparation for Next Farm Bill

• Programmatic streamlining and efficiency/effective
  ness improvements
• Conservation planning and technical assistance
  streamlining
• Conservation program reform and assessment
• Maximizing performance of existing programs and
  contracts

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Preparation for Next Farm BillProgrammatic
Streamlining and Efficiency/Effectiveness
Improvements

• 1 policy manual, 1 set of procedures, 1 set of
  forms, etc. for cost-share and easement programs,
  respectively
• ProTracts Phase II easement programs
• Technical assistance efficiency measures for each
  program
• National priorities for all programs to create
  greater programmatic synergy/eliminate
  duplication
• Program management performance incentive for each
  program
• Automated application evaluation and ranking
  template for EQIP and WHIP

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Preparation for Next Farm BillConservation
Planning and Technical Assistance Streamlining

• Improvement/expansion of CSP producer
  self-assessment model for all conservation
  planning
• Standard template in Customer Service Toolkit
  (CST) for development of CNMPs
• Full use of FSAs digitized common land units for
  conservation planning in CST
• FSAs adoption of NRCSs recommendations on
  streamlining NRCS technical assistance with CRP

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Preparation for Next Farm BillConservation
Program Reform and Assessment

• Completing Reform and Assessment of Conservation
  Programs provision of 2002 Farm Bill
• Considering and evaluating improvements to
  discretionary programs (Small Watershed Program
  RCD Program)

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Preparation for Next Farm BillMaximizing
Performance of Existing Programs and Contracts

• Complete unfinished work in prior year contracts
• Benefit as many producers as possible
• Buy as much conservation as we can
• Help livestock sector comply with regulations
• Demonstrate accountability for funding (OMB PART)

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Program Assessment Rating Tool Scores for NRCS
Programs
Program Score Rating Year
CTA 59 Results Not Demonstrated 2003
Soil Survey 71 Moderately Effective 2003
WHIP 60 Results Not Demonstrated 2002
Snow Survey - RePART 82 Moderately Effective 2004
FRPP 66 Results Not Demonstrated 2002
Plant Materials 63 Results Not Demonstrated 2003
NRI 69 Results Not Demonstrated 2003
Watershed and Flood Prevention 65 Adequate 2004
EWP 56 Results Not Demonstrated 2004
EQIP 72 Moderately Effective 2004
RCD 41 Results Not Demonstrated 2004
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Stewardship is the daily work of Americas
farmers and ranchers. - Chuck Connor, USDA
Deputy Secretary, May 26, 2005

• Secretary Johanns will take the Farm Bill debate
  to farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. (Farm
  Bill Listening Sessions)
• By late fall 2005, USDA will be able to
  articulate a common vision for 2007 Farm Bill
• Bush Administration Farm Bill proposal is a
  priority building off input from the ground up

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2007 Farm Bill Forums

• The Secretary will hold Farm Bill Forums to seek
  input from Americas farmers, ranchers and rural
  residents regarding the development of the 2007
  Farm Bill
• The first Farm Bill Forum was held July 7, 2005,
  in Nashville, Tennessee
• USDA plans to announce additional sessions as
  arrangements are confirmed throughout the year
• There probably will be specialized forums on
  specific issues, such as food assistance and
  research

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FY 04 Progress by NRCS
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Nutrient Management AppliedFY 04
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Tillage and CroppingResidue Management
AppliedFY 04
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Water Management Terraces AppliedFY 04
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Land Treatment Vegetative StabilizationConserva
tion Cover AppliedFY 04
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Riparian Forest Buffers AppliedFY 04
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Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management AppliedFY 04
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Principal Goals for the Next Four Years

• Increase breadth and enhance quality of
  cooperative conservation as a driving force in
  NRCS programs
• Restructure NRCS program delivery at the
  watershed level to better integrate a wide range
  of programs and better coordinate with non-NRCS
  conservation efforts
• Realize full implementation and full
  participation in the 2002 Farm Bill

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Agriculture and Water Quality Where Are We ?
And Where Are We Going?Dan D. LawsonBranch
Chief, Conservation and Watershed Planning, NRCS
Its The Water WorkshopSeptember 13-15,
2005 Hannibal, Missouri