# Presentation: 662807

## NRCS Nutrient Management and agency partners: How they work together

**USDA NRCS Pennsylvania**
- Ecological Sciences and Planning Staff

## NM Planning in Pa, we are working toward a common goal

- _Who needs what kind of a plan?_
- DEP
_*All farms using manure*_*:*  Manure Management Plan
_*CAFOs*_*:*  CAFO Nutrient Management Plan
- NRCS:
_*NRCS cooperating farms applying nutrients *_*:*
- 590 Nutrient Management Practice (acres)
_*NRCS cooperating animal feeding operations (AFOs)*_*:*               	Comprehensive Nutrient Mgmt Plan (CNMP) for farmers taking 	financial assistance for nutrient management practices.
- State Conservation Commission
_*CAOs/VAOs*_*:*  Act 38 Nutrient Management Plan
_*Importers from CAOs, CAFOs & AFOs*_*:*  Nutrient Balance Sheets

## Its not as bad as it looks (plans dovetail together):
Agencies have worked to together to coordinate requirements
Meeting one agency’s requirement may meet the others
For example:
Acres in Appendix 6 of an Act 38 NM Plan meet the 590 standard
A 590 plan will meet the Manure Mgmt Plan and NBS requirement
An Act 38 NM Plan will meet some of the the CAFO and CNMP plan requirements
A CNMP can meet all Act 38 requirements
One plan builds to be the next level plan

And therefore the higher level plans will meet the lower level requirement 

- Agencies have worked to together to coordinate requirements
- Meeting one agency’s requirement may meet the others
- For example:
- Acres in Appendix 6 of an Act 38 NM Plan meet the 590 standard
- A 590 plan will meet the Manure Mgmt Plan and NBS requirement
- An Act 38 NM Plan will meet some of the the CAFO and CNMP plan requirements
- A CNMP can meet all Act 38 requirements
- One plan builds to be the next level plan
- And therefore the higher level plans will meet the lower level requirement

**Wow, all those different plans?**

**NBS ****→**** MMP ****→**** 590 Plan NM ****→**** Act 38 NM Plan ****→**** CNMP ****→**** CAFO **

## PA Nutrient Management Program

- The PA Nutrient Management Program serves as the central source of information for the Act 38 NM program in PA
- _[http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu](http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu/)_
- When applicable, DEP and NRCS utilize standard Act 38 documents for CAFO & CNMP planning

## What is a Nutrient Balance Sheet  (NBS)?

**NBS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR 590!**
- Used for exported manure
-  Importers follow guidance on NBS when land applying manure
-  May or may not require soil test
-  Three management level options
- No soil test - very conservative set backs and  P uptake rates
- Soil test - setbacks and N uptake rates
- Soil test + P- Index - 590 Rates
- NBS forms can be found at the PA Nutrient Management Program website

## NBS in a NRCS CNMP are used for the Alternative Utilization element

- If exported to _known landowners for __**ag land**_ application:
- Signed agreement & Nutrient Balance Sheet (or NMP)
- Importer responsible unless CAO/VAO applying manure
- If to _Brokers (meeting Act 49 requirements)_:
- Signed agreement (NBS if land applied)
- Broker ensure NBS if land applied
- Broker responsible unless importer or CAO/VAO applying
- If to _known landowners for __**non-agricultural**_ use
- Name, location, description, amount, season, use
- Signed agreement

## NBS in an NRCS CNMPAlternative utilization element (continued)

- If use on the CNMP operation for _non-agricultural_ land application:
- Brief description of use, including amount used annually
- If to an _open marketing_ system:
- Brief description, amount to be used annually
- Operator must be a certified Broker (Act 49)
- NBS for importing crop fields (or NMP)
- Application _setbacks_ are imposed on exported manure

## Importer/Broker Agreements & NBS

- GARDEN AMOUNTS exported do not require NBS
- Exporters are not required to follow the exporting requirements (NBS, agreements, etc.) if importing less than:
- 5 tons of poultry manure
- 25 tons of non-poultry solid manure
- 10,000 gallons of manure

## What is a Manure Management Plan? 

- _A manure management plan includes:_
- Minimal plan, required for any farmer generating or using manure
- Required by DEP to follow _Manure Management Manual_
*Farmers who do not follow the practices in this publication are required to obtain DEP approval or a water quality permit.*
- No certification for planners, nor plan review or approval
- Addresses N, P, and K
- P addressed using the Pa P-Index
- N addressed the with annual balance (as usual)
- No K limitation
*Generally* identifies _animals on the operation_ and _manure production_
*Generally* identifies_ ACA_ issues as well as _manure storage issues_
- Update of Manure Management Manual is under consideration

## What is a 590 NM Plan?

- _A 590 plan, a nutrient budget for acres receiving nutrients:_
- A plan addressing the field application of nutrients
- Not an ACA or manure storage plan
- Addresses N, P, and K
- P addressed using the Pa P-Index
- N addressed the with annual balance (as usual)
- No K limitation
- Setbacks needed to address high sensitivity areas
- Soil, manure, organic by-product analyses results
- Nutrient budget showing surplus nutrients applied
- Winter and fall manure application restrictions
- Appendix 6 of Act 38 NM Plan

## What is a Act 38 NM Plan?

- _An Act 38 NM Plan is__:_
- A plan that addresses 590 issues plus:
**Planner must be certified under act 38 program**
**Formal plan review and approval**
**Standard format required (N, P, and K just like 590)**
**Detailed summary of animals on the operation**
**Detailed analysis of manure produced, collected, used on site and exported**
**Topo map**
**Renter names and addresses**
- (continued)

## What is a Act 38 NM Plan

- Detailed assessment of manure storage integrity and size (existing and proposed)
- Documentation of exported manure arrangements
- Signed agreements
- Nutrient balance sheets (lowest level of planning)
- Emergency Response Plan
- Stacking restrictions
- Major in-field stormwater issues addressed
- All manure mgmt issues addressed
- This Act 38 plan format meets the CNMP elements and CAFO planning requirements it addresses

## What is a NRCS CNMP?

- _A CNMP is a progressive conservation plan that, at a minimum, addresses the following elements :_
- Manure and Wastewater Handling  and Storage element
-  Nutrient Management (590) element
-  Land treatment element
-  Record keeping element
-  Feed Management element  (optional)
-  Other utilization of manure (optional)

## What is the format of a CNMP?

- _An Act 38-equivalent (format and content) plan plus:_
- A manure & wastewater handling and storage plan inventory & evaluation signed off by a Professional Engineer (PE)
- A land treatment plan for that will reduce sheet and rill erosion to the level of **T** (tolerable) and eliminates ephemeral and classic gullies
- Record keeping
- A CNMP is a confidential document
- The CNMP does not require any state certification unless it is a  CAFO or SCC regulated operation.

## What is a CAFO NM Plan?

- A CAFO plan is a CNMP for an EPA/DEP regulated farm:
- This plan will be submitted with a permit application
- This plan is considered very public, and access to this plan will be advertised for folks to see and comment on
- There could be a public hearing on the plan and permit application
- DEP will review this plan, as well as the conservation district

## Summarizing Pa’s nm planning criteria

- _How it works in Pa:_
- Plans build on each other starting from most basic field application then adding various components
- The NM planning continuum in Pa starts with a NBS which is very general and addresses only fields where manure is applied
- If you start with a more simplistic plan format, you should be able to add to that to move up the planning continuum
- Funding available to help from various programs

**NBS ****→**** 590 Plan NM ****→**** MMP ****→**** Act 38 NM Plan ****→**** CNMP ****→**** CAFO **

## Summarizing PA’s nm planning criteria

- All plans have some general data needs that are important to help the farmer get:
- Soil test info,
- Manure test info.,
- Manure generation numbers
- Animal numbers, size, days on operation, etc.,
- Field sizes, and histories
- Crop rotation, (what is grown where and when)
- Crop yields,
- Farm maps (soils, and fields)
- Manure spreader calibration
- We can all help get a farmer into a planning format that best fits their situation.