Planning and Documentation Guidance for

Development of Conservation Plans:

**[Note]{.underline}**: The following guidance should help you in plan
development and documentation. It is not intended to replace the
National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH) and other Handbooks or
Manuals used in the planning process.

1.  [Resource Setting]{.underline}. The resource setting should provide
    an overview of the planning site. It will include items such as land
    use, climatic conditions, soils, irrigation system, crop rotation,
    tillage operations, use of fertilizer, animal waste and pesticides,
    and livestock operations as examples. A good resource setting will
    help determine which Conservation System Guide to use in the
    planning process. A Resource Setting template can be accessed
    through the electronic CPA-52.

2.  [Maps]{.underline}. Conservation plan maps need to include property
    and field borders, field numbers, acres, HEL/NHEL/Wetland
    determinations and land use. Conservation plans that include
    structural practices, such as a pipeline and water facility should
    show the approximate location of the practice on the conservation
    plan map. Map legends need to describe practices and features of the
    map such as soil map units on the soils map and threatened or
    endangered species of concern on the conservation data center map.
    Refer to the NPPH -- 600.31(8) for details on map content and
    formatting.

3.  [Conservation Assistance Notes]{.underline}. Assistance notes should
    describe and document the planning and application process.
    Assistance notes are to be dated and include the initials of the
    person who provided assistance.

4.  [Field Resource Inventory Worksheet]{.underline}. The case file
    needs to include documentation of the resource inventory. The Field
    Resource Inventory Worksheet can be used to record observations and
    producer concerns during the field visit. The use of this worksheet
    is optional. Planning and Implementation (P&I) Notes, a resource
    inventory map, aerial photographs, etc are also acceptable for
    documenting resource concerns or opportunities.[\
    ]{.underline}

5.  [CPA-52]{.underline}. The CPA-52 Sections A through F are used to
    record the client name, objective, land use, resource concerns,
    planning level, currently applied practices, planned practices and
    additional practices (RMS Alternative) needed when the selected plan
    is at the progressive level.

6.  [CPA-52 No Action and Alternative Effects]{.underline}. Effects
    information needs to describe what is happening with the no action
    and proposed action alternatives. The following are examples of how
    effects information in Sections H, I and K could read:
    **[Note]{.underline}**: The RMS Alternative column is not shown. If
    the proposed action will not meet quality criteria for all
    identified resource concerns, an RMS Alternative needs to be
    developed and effects information shown.\
    \
    \
    \
    \
    \
    Section H -- Resource Consideration Effects

  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------
  **Resource               **No Action**            **Proposed Action**
  Consideration**                                   

  Excess Nutrient &        Application of           Nutrient will be
  Organics in Surface      fertilizer without soil  applied at rates based
  Water                    test has potential of    on soil test and
                           negative impacts to      University of Idaho
                           surface water. Results   Fertilizer Guides.
                           of INTRA are HIGH        Negative impacts to
                                                    ground water will be
                                                    reduced

  Suspended Sediment &     Runoff water from        Sprinkler irrigation
  Turbidity in Surface     irrigation carries       will eliminate
  Water                    sediment to No Name      irrigation water
                           Creek, a 303 d listed    runoff and delivery of
                           water body. Water        sediment to No Name
                           Quality Indicator Guide  Creek WQIG Field
                           (WQIG) Field sheets 1A   sheets 1A and 1B are
                           and1B are FAIR           GOOD

  Irrigation Induced       Erosion exceeds          Sprinkler irrigation
  Erosion                  tolerable levels; SISL   and management will
                           results are 7            reduce erosion to
                           tons/acre/year           tolerable levels
  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

Section I -- Economic and Social Consideration Effects

  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------
  **Consideration**        **No Action**            **Proposed Action**

  Land Use                 Crop                     Crop

  Capital                  No additional            Increased cost
                           expenditure              associated with
                                                    purchase of irrigation
                                                    system

  Labor                    Insufficient labor to    Reduced labor
                           apply irrigation water   requirement with
                           in a timely manner and   sprinkler irrigation.
                           maintain irrigation      Maintenance to return
                           return ditches           ditches is eliminated

  Management               No change in the         Short term increase in
                           management of the        management while
                           irrigation system and    learning how to
                           water application        operate a sprinkler
                                                    system

  Profitability            Continued revenue from   Long term increase
                           surface irrigation.      possible with uniform
                           Inefficient irrigation   application of water
                           may negatively impact    and increased yield
                           yield and profitability  

  Risk                     Impact to yield when     Short term increased
                           labor can't be found to  risk to crop
                           irrigate in a timely     production while
                           manner                   learning to use the
                                                    sprinkler system
  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

Section K -- Special Environmental Consideration Effects.
**[Note]{.underline}**: The CPA-52 is hot linked to Guide Sheets that
will provide you with guidance on evaluating most of the special
environmental considerations.

  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------
  **Special Environmental  **No Action**            **Proposed Action**
  Concerns**                                        

  Cultural Resources       No inventory has been    A cultural resource
                           completed to determine   review of the planning
                           if cultural resources    site determined there
                           exist                    are no cultural
                                                    resources present

  Endangered and           The conservation data    Planned practices will
  Threatened Species       center GIS database      not have an adverse
                           identified pygmy rabbit  effect on the pygmy
                           (species of special      rabbit. Upland
                           concern) on the planning Wildlife Habitat
                           site                     Management (prescribed
                                                    grazing) will improve
                                                    native plant community
                                                    and benefit habitat
                                                    for pygmy rabbit

  Environmental Justice    Minority groups are      Planned practices will
                           known to live in the     not have an adverse
                           area of the planning     environmental or human
                           site                     health effect on any
                                                    population

  Riparian Area            No riparian area is      No riparian area is
                           located in the planning  located in the
                           site                     planning site
  ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

7.  [System Narrative]{.underline}. The system narrative provides the
    land user information on how planned practices work together to
    solve identified resource concerns and meets his/her planning
    objectives. If the selected plan does not meet quality criteria for
    all identified resource concerns, it is a progressive plan. The
    narrative will indicate which resource concerns are not meeting
    quality criteria. NRCS policy states that when the producer's
    selected plan will not address all resource concerns, an RMS
    Alternative will be developed and provided to the producer. A system
    narrative for the RMS alternative will be completed when the
    selected plan is at the progressive level. A System Narrative
    template can be accessed through the electronic CPA-52.

8.  [Evaluation worksheets]{.underline}. Worksheets help determine when
    a resource concern does not meet quality criteria for the benchmark.
    They are also used to determine if planned practices will bring
    identified resource concerns to the quality criteria level. Common
    evaluations we see in folders include RUSLE2, SISL, Water Quality
    Indicator Guides, Wind Erosion Equation and Wildlife Habitat
    Appraisal Guide, Idaho Pest Management Worksheet and the Idaho
    Nutrient Transport Risk Assessment (INTRA). Idaho's Quality Criteria
    provides a list of evaluation tools that can be used for each
    resource concern.

9.  [Conservation Plan]{.underline}. Practices in the conservation plan
    should be the same as those shown on the CPA-52 -- Proposed Action
    Column.

10. [Practice Narratives]{.underline}. Practice narratives need to
    provide enough detail that the producer knows what is expected when
    applying practices. Basic ToolKit narrative should be modified to
    fit the planning site. For example, Conservation Crop Rotation
    should include the crops that will be included in the rotation.
    Irrigation Water Management should refer the producer to an IWM plan
    or to the IWM Job Sheet. Pest management needs to refer to the
    WinPST interpretation and identify mitigating practices. Upland
    Wildlife Habitat Management needs to include species benefited,
    habitat created, enhanced or restored (nesting habitat for upland
    birds, winter cover, food, etc.). Fence should describe the type of
    fence installed and refer the producer a specification.