CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP)

TREE PRACTICE MAINTENANCE & MID-CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

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  CRP Contract                                         Tract                             Field                    
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**MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS ON [RE-ENROLLED]{.underline}
CRP CONTRACTS**

**Note: Use Planning Sheet 19 and guidance in Tree Planting Procedures
(380TPP) for maintenance on [new]{.underline} tree plantings.**

**[General Guidance on Tree Maintenance and Management
Plans]{.underline}**

The maintenance/management plan that is developed and provided to the
cooperator for implementation shall be [site specific and include
measurable items]{.underline} that must be completed to fulfill
maintenance obligations and/or mid-contract management requirements.
Check all maintenance/management items applicable to the site that must
be addressed. Where appropriate, specific numbers, sizes, distances,
timeframes, and other measurable parameters will be included in the
comment section for each checked item. An aerial photo or plan map
should also be attached to clearly identify areas which to be treated.
The plan must also be provided to the local Farm Service Agency office
in order to allow for reimbursement of cost-share assistance on
applicable items related to the implementation of mid-contract
management activities.

Plan requirements shall be balanced between measures that: 1) will
result in benefits to plant diversity and wildlife habitat, 2) preserve
the intended function of the tree planting, and 3) are reasonable and
practical to implement.

Activities which remove habitats that provide benefits to specific
wildlife species such as standing dead trees (snags), dead limbs, and
brush piles or result in routine mowing of herbaceous vegetation do not
fulfill the mid-contract management requirements.

**[Maintenance]{.underline}**

Tree plantings require several important maintenance activities to be
conducted on a periodic basis. These include: replanting following
tree/shrub mortality to establish approved vegetative cover; control of
noxious weeds and competitive vegetation; and prevention of
animal-caused damage. Dead or damaged trees should be replaced by
replanting as needed within 3 years after the initial planting. However,
there may be instances when replants need to be installed at a much
later time. Livestock will be excluded to prevent damage to the tree
planting. Competitive vegetation, including noxious weeds, excessive
annual weed growth, and perennial, sod-forming grasses, will be
controlled before and after planting. The 2-CRP Manual, Para. 238,
outlines maintenance as the participant's responsibility without
additional cost-share, since the payment rate calculation includes
maintenance costs.

-   Replanting due to mortality of original trees and shrubs may be
    necessary for field windbreaks, shelterbelts, and living snowfences
    which rely on a continuous line of trees without blank spaces within
    rows. Minor alterations in species selection for replants are
    acceptable if poor survival was due to failure of species adaptation
    to microsites.
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-   Control of undesirable perennial grasses (e.g., smooth brome) or
    weeds is necessary if they are inhibiting tree growth due to
    competition. Careful use of tillage or burn down herbicide
    applications can be used to remedy these situations. In some cases,
    grasses or weeds may be present within the weed barrier slots and
    must also be addressed.
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-   Sites with weed barrier fabric should be inspected on a regular
    basis (e.g., every 3-5 years) to ensure fabric slots are opened up
    enough to prevent girdling of any tree trunks. Weed barrier fabric
    that is loose must be anchored or removed as appropriate.

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-   Removal of undesirable volunteer and/or invasive trees or shrubs may
    be necessary. Invasive tree species detract from the intended
    purpose of the tree planting (e.g., volunteer elm trees growing
    between rows of a windbreak).

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**[Management]{.underline}**

The 2-CRP Manual, Para. 239, and the associated NE Exhibit 5, require
that management which "ensures plant diversity and wildlife benefits" be
implemented during the second contract period on re-enrolled CRP
tree/shrub planting contracts. These activities are eligible for
cost-share. Consultation with a forester is necessary prior to
implementation of management actions. Management recommendations must
include items to be accomplished so that the tree planting fulfills its
intended function (e.g., windbreak established during first contract
period).

-   Thinning may be appropriate in cases where trees have or will become
    too crowded to allow for adequate space and sunlight. This is
    especially true for riparian forest buffers, wildlife plantings, and
    block tree plantings. Depending on the site, it may be possible to
    stack removed trees into brush piles or girdle the bark of the tree
    and leave it standing to provide added wildlife habitat features.
    All thinning must be prescribed by a forester.

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-   Enhanced diversity of herbaceous vegetation may be needed in areas
    where vegetation between tree rows is greater than 20 feet wide.
    Management activities can include disking, or the application of a
    burn down herbicide, to set back or kill existing vegetation,
    followed by interseeding of desired legumes and/or native forbs.

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-   Interplanting of new tree or shrub species to increase plant
    diversity and benefit wildlife habitat may be appropriate within
    some established tree plantings. Native shrubs provide several
    habitat elements desired by many wildlife species and can be added
    as an understory, or on the outer perimeter of established tree
    plantings. A site-specific planting plan will be needed.

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-   Pruning of dead and broken branches improves the health and vigor of
    existing trees. It is important that efforts to "clean up" a tree
    planting are not so intensive as to result in a reduction of
    wildlife habitat. Standing dead trees (snags), dead limbs, and brush
    piles provide benefits to specific wildlife species that use these
    areas to forage on insects, create nesting cavities, and provide
    shelter.

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Additional Comments:
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**I (We) concur in the maintenance/management provisions outlined in
Nebraska Conservation Planning Sheet 20D-CRP.**

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  COOPERATOR (Producer):                                                Date:        

  COOPERATOR (Producer):                                                Date:        

  NRCS Representative:                                                  Date:        

  FSA Representative:                                                   Date:        

  NRD Representative:                                                   Date:        

  Forester:(agency)                                                     Date:        
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