2003 Minnesota Report

Natural Resources Conservation Activities

Land, W ater, People
375 Jackson Street, Suite 600

St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1854

651-602-7854

w w w.mn.nrcs.usda.gov

NRCS Mission

To provide leadership in a

partnership effort to help

people conserve, improve,

and sustain our natural

resources and

environment.

NRCS Vision

Harmony between People

and the Land

Friends in Conservation:

Fiscal Year 2003 was a banner year for conservation in Minnesota. Higher funding levels for

existing programs and new programs made conservation an easier and more accessible choice

for Minnesota’s private landowners.

This past year our agency business plan and goals were achieved in basically all programs.

While a major part of our work effort was directed to Farm Bill program implementation,

much was accomplished in our ongoing Soil Survey, W atersheds, RC&D, and Conservation

Technical Assistant Programs. Especially noteworthy was our success with the revamped,

more locally led, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS worked closely

with the Minnesota Association of Conservation Districts and Cooperative Extension staffto

roll out a successful Local W ork Group training program to NRCS and SWCD partners statewide. This training provided the necessary groundwork to make locally-led conservation

process work extremely well in Minnesota. Despite the short implementation timeframe

placed on the local field offices, our field staff and conservation partnership signed up over

three times as many EQIP contracts compared to Fiscal Year 2002. FY-2003 brought forth

the implementation of a new effort involving greater use of Technical Service Providers in

Farm Bill program implementation.

Another good example of excellent partnership work in Minnesota is the W etland Reserve

Program. By working hand-in-hand with Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy,U.S.

Fish and W ildlife Service, we were able to leverage even more dollars for wetland

restorations. An example that shines brightly in northwestern Minnesota is the Glacial Ridge

Project. Glacial Ridge is the site of the Nation’slargest wetland and native grassland

restoration project in North America. A total of 26 partners and private landowners have

shown that by working together a great deal, more can be accomplished.

WILLIAM HUNT

State Conservationist

A Partnership for Good Stewardship

NRCS works closely with our 91 Soil and W ater Conservation Districts in Minnesota. NRCS employees in 83 field offices

provide conservation technical assistance to owners and operators of private lands to assist them in making sound land use

decisions.

Minnesota NRCS has a total of 310 employees. There were 22 students under the Student Career Experience Program and

Student Temporary Employee Program and two Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) students.

Participation in the HACU program is noteworthy as this is a way that NRCS can recruit Hispanic students to Minnesota.

NRCS continues to make recruitment efforts at several institutions of higher education. Recruitment accomplishments

continue to be made from the 1890 schools and 1994 Tribal Colleges.
Program Summary

NRCS employees work in 83 local USDA Service

Centers across the state of Minnesota.They are resource

conservationists, soil conservationists, engineers, biologists,

agronomists, and soil scientists who work hand-in-hand with

local land users to conserve natural resources on private lands.

This is the foundation of our conservation programs, and

we are committed to providing training and technical

assistance support to meet the changing challenges in natural

resource management.

This NRCS annual report covers accomplishments from

October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. The

following is a partial listing of some highlighted program

accomplishments. More information about NRCS

programs in Minnesota can be found at:

www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov.

On May 13, 2002, President George W . Bush signed and

enacted the 2002 Farm Bill, which represented our nation’s

strongest commitment to conservation ever. NRCS

administers and manages programs which are outlined in

the Conservation Provisions, Title II, of the Farm Bill.

Increased cost-shared funds translate into more voluntary

programs.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

This Farm Bill conservation program helps land users

address serious threats to soil, water and related natural

resources including soil erosion and water quality

degradation. EQIP offers financial and technical

assistance to help landowners install or apply structural,

vegetative and management practices called for in

conservation contracts.

Local W ork Groups (LWG)

Locally led conservation was highlighted and prioritized in

the implementation of the 2003 EQIP. Local W ork

Groups, based on Soil and W ater Conservation District

(SWCD) boundaries, chaired by the NRCS District

Conservationist and facilitated by SWCD staff and board

members, held meetings to identify natural resources

concerns and recommended EQIP 2003 priorities.

National natural resource concerns and others identified

locally were then utilized with a scoring worksheet to

score and rank EQIP applications. This same process was

also used on a regional basis for groups of counties

coinciding to the seven NRCS/SWCD area boundaries.

Allocations were also made to each of the 91 SWCD

boundary levels and to Area boundaries. This allowed

local and area NRCS personnel to fund contracts in ranked

order focused on their local and area priorities. This

system yielded EQIP contracts in 85 counties. This

compared to only 40 counties receiving contract funds in

previous years when a State level scoring and application

process was in place.

Accomplishments

Statewide, 1,527 applications were received for a total of

$18,126,000 in EQIP requests.

$15,661,000 of EQIP funds were obligated with

Minnesota producers in 1,210 contracts for an average

contract value of $12,943.

52% ($8,127,000) of the total EQIP funds were used to

addressated to animal livestock natural resource

concerns.

The additional funds were used for other natural resource

concerns 41% ($6,430,000).

$626,000, or 4% was obligated to forestry,wildlife,air

and other natural resource concerns.

Non-livestock related water quality practices accounted

for 3% or $470,000.

In addition to obligating this new $15.7 million in FY-03,

hundreds of practices were implemented from previously

funded EQIP contracts.

Soils

Soil surveys provide a field-based scientific inventory of

soil resources, including soil maps and data about physical

and chemical properties of soils as well as information on

the potentials and limitations of each soil. NRCS is the

lead Federal agency responsible for soil mapping on private

lands. Many other state and local agency partners also

contribute both staff and money to the national cooperative

soil survey mapping effort.

For more information about soil surveys in Minnesota,

click onto the Minnesota NRCS web site at:

w w w.mn.nrcs.usda.gov

Accomplishments

• During FY 2003, Minnesota soil scientists

mapped almost 1 million acres.

• Currently, 31 Minnesota counties meet Soil

Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)

standards which is the most detailed geographic

database.

2003 State Report - Minnesota Executive Summary
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is administered

by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Field work, seeding

recommendations, planning and monitoring for these multiyear contracts are performed by NRCS, SWCD and

Technical Service Providers (TSP) as part of an on going

workload in Minnesota.

Accomplishments

General Sign up 26:

• A total of 2379 offers were accepted on 79,415

acres for the 26th General CRP signup. These acres

were planted to native grasses, trees and wildlife

habitat.

 Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP)

Fiscal year 2003 continued to be a strong program year for

CCRP in Minnesota. Total acreage enrolled in CCRP

between 1997-2003 was 526,822 acres.

Accomplishments

• Fourteen practices were used to protect the state’s

soil, water and wildlife resources. Priority

practices included: W etland Restoration (19,403

acres) and Filter Strips (10,107 acres) which

accounted for the most acreages.

• Other conservation practices included: Riparian

Buffers (4554 acres), Farmable W etland Buffers

(4,321 acres),Farmable W etlands (1,683 acres)

and Field W indbreak Establishment (1,469 acres).

W etlands Reserve Program (WRP)

The W etlands Reserve Program (WRP) is the Nation’s

premier W etlands restoration program. It is a voluntary

Farm Bill program that offers landowners the means and the

opportunity to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their

property. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Service (NRCS) manages the program as well as provides

technical and financial support to help landowners who

participate in W R P.

Accomplishments

• In Minnesota in Federal fiscal year 2003, 108

WRP easements were obligated on 13,700 acres for

$21 million. These are located in 24 counties

across the State

• An 1,800 acre $2.1 million wetland/prairie project

near the town of Uhlen in Clay and Norman

Counties in NW Minnesota was funded. The 10

landowners in this project will restore nearly a 3

mile corridor that, in addition to wildlife habitat,

will provide water quality and flood prevention

benefits.

• Three Carver County landowners in the Minnesota

River floodplain will restore 275 acres of riparian

woodland and grassland habitat. This area will link

two existing US Fish and W ildlife Service units and

will ultimately be a part of the Minnesota Valley

Refuge system.

• Linking 1,750 acres with 14 Marshall County

landowners in the Lower Snake River watershed

near its confluence with the Red River of the North

was also funded. This project has obligated $1.6

million and will complete nearly 6 miles of riparian

buffer along the Snake and Red Rivers and provide

wildlife, water quality and flood remediation

benefits.

• 44 previously funded landowners had their

easements perfected in fiscal year 2003 on over

4,000 acres.

• In addition, thousand’s of acres of wetlands and

associated uplands were restored to their predrained/cropped condition. This included restoring

hydrology, grass, forbs and shrub vegetation.

• NRCS continued to be a full partner in the

Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources

(LCMR) Funded W ildlife Habitat Corridors

Project. Ducks Unlimited has contracted with

W etland Specialist and technicians to help

implement W R P in these corridors.

2003 State Report - Minnesota Executive Summary
Outreach

NRCS is committed to ensuring that its programs and

services are accessible to all our customers, fairly and

equitably, with emphasis on reaching the undeserved and

socially disadvantaged farmers. Minnesota continues to

make great strides in sharing outreach information across

all of Minnesota which has increased NRCS’sabilityto

reach more of the underserved and socially disadvantaged

farmers and clientele.

Accomplishments

• The State Outreach Coordinator has coordinated

outreach work with numerous DC’s in Minnesota

that have Native American Indian Reservations

and minority landusers in their counties.

W atershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program

(PL-566)

Since 1954 when USDA enacted the PL 566 Small

W atershed Program, 17 projects have been completed in the

state providing over $38 million in federal cost share dollars

to the economic, social, and environmental well being of

rural Minnesota. Four new projects—the Bear Creek and

the Whitewater Projects in SE Mn; the Kanaranzi Little

Rock in SW MN; and the Snake River Flood Control

Project in NW MN have obligated an additional $24 million

cost share dollars.

Accomplishments

• W atershed planning activities were initiated within

the Upper Pelican River W atershed District, the

City of Detroit Lakes, and the Becker County Soil

and W ater Conservation District to reduce non

point, total phosphorous run off into Detroit Lake.

• In FY 2003, handicapped accessible construction

plans and specifications for improvements were

completed for Del Clarke Lake (formerly PL 566

Structure R-1, Canby Creek W atershed Project

1974) in Stone Hill Park, Yellow Medicine County,

MN.

• At the 2003 National W atershed Conference held

in Council Bluffs, IA, Mayor Richard Nelson of

W arren, MN, was honored as W atershed Man of

the year for his local leadership roles in both the

planning and construction activities ongoing in the

Snake River PL 566 Flood Control Project in

Marshall County.

The Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

helps communities improve their economic, social, and

environmental conditions throughout the state of Minnesota.

By using locally led, grassroots efforts, local residents

identify problems and establish goals and objectives,

develop alternatives, and implement solutions.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has

eight approved RC&Ds covering 64 counties in Minnesota.

A ninth-Coteau des Prairies RC&D in southwest, Minnesota

–is seeking USDA authorization as an official RC&D area.

This proposed area covers nine counties in southwestern

Minnesota. RC&D Council’s throughout Minnesota have

carried on with the “Minnesota nice” tradition of helping

the new council.

Four counties in East Central Minnesota have banded

together to start the intial process of formulating an RC&D

council. Sherburne, W right, Benton and Stearns County

encompass this newly forming area.

Accomplishments

• RC&D activities include many varied projects

throughout the state of Minnesota such as

educational projects, recreation and tourism

projects, woodland management, and fire

protection and prevention. RC&D’s in Minnesota

work extensively with the state’s11 Tribal nations.

Technical Service Providers (TSP)

Technical service providers (TSPs) are individuals, entities,

or public agencies certified by NRCS to provide direct

technical assistance and deliver quality conservation

activities to landowners participating in conservation

programs. The use of TSPs was authorized by the 2002

Farm Bill and provides producers with a choice of provider

of technical service, NRCS or a TSP. Through the

Technical Service Provider Registry (TechReg), an internet

application, individuals interested in becoming TSPs can

register and become certified as a TSP.

Accomplishments

• Registered 90 Technical Service Providers for

Minnesota. Of the TSPs listed for Minnesota, 64

registered as individuals, 21 as agencies, and 5 as

businesses. 80 percent of the TSPs registered in

Minnesota are located within the state while 16 are

located outside of MN, representing eight states.

• Minnesota has registered TSPs located in 53 cities

within Minnesota.

Successfully scheduled over $700,000 in private

sector TSP work in 2003 Environmental Qualities

Incentive Program (EQIP) contracts.

Resource Conservation and Development

2003 State Report - Minnesota Executive Summary
W ildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

This is a voluntary Farm Bill program that assists

landowner in enhancing area that provide needed food and

cover for many different species of wildlife. The goal of

WHIP is to “Maintain a healthy, diverse ecosystem through

the improvement, enhancement and restoration of fish and

wildlife habitat, in cooperation with private agricultural

landowners.” The WHIP program promotes wildlife

habitat restoration and management on private lands

through cooperative endeavors between landowners and

Federal, state and local conservation partners.

Accomplishments

• Minnesota-NRCS received a total of 150 WHIP

applications during FY 2003 of which the total

dollar value of applications exceeded

$12,000,000.

• Funded 68 WHIP contracts to enhance over 2000

acres at a cost-share of over $350,000.

• Practices included: 470 acres of native grasses

and forbs, 540 acres of native trees and shrubs,

600 acres of brush management, 700 acres of

prescribed burning and 300 acres of timber stand

improvement. Additionally, 40 acres of wetlands

were restored.

The Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Intiative

The Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

continue to be a voluntary effort which is designed to

enhance the state’s privately owned grazing land by

increasing technical assistance at the field level. The use of

demonstration projects and educational programs are utilized

state-wide. Currently, GLCI has one full-time and one parttime Grazing specialist. Four full time grazing specialist

positions were added in FY-2004.

Accomplishments

• Grazing specialists in Minnesota prepared 42

grazing plans on 4587 acres.

• 14 workshops/seminars were conducted involving

296 producers and 108 agency people.

• 6 field days were conducted involving 190

producers and 33 agency people.

Emergency W atershed Protection (EWP) Program

In the spring of 2001 and the summer of 2002, rainfall

events caused flooding in Minnesota that was determined to

be eligible for the EWP program. Congress made funds

available in the fall of 2002. The major work items have

been bank stabilization, debris removal, sediment removal,

and repairs to small dams.

Accomplishments

• Grant agreements exceeding $1.4 million prepared

with sponsors in Minnesota

• Repairs beginning in 2003 are nearing completion.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a newly

implemented voluntary Farm Bill program that helps

landowners and operators restore and protect grassland,

including rangeland and pastureland, and certain other

lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. The

program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant

and animal biodiversity, and grassland and land containing

shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.

Program priorities were producers who had existing grazing

systems. Priority was given to sites with existing or restored

native prairie plants, and sites under the greatest threat of

conversion from grass to some other land use. FY-2003 was

the first year this program was offered. Program final rules

are being developed in W ashington.

Accomplishments

• Requested: 328 applications on 53,506 acres for a

total requested dollar amount of $12,639,418.

• Approved: 19 applications on 2,372 acres for

$797,987

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a

voluntary program that helps farmers and ranchers keep

their land in agriculture. The program provides matching

funds to State, Tribal or local governments and nongovernmental organizations with existing farm and ranch

land protection programs to purchase conservation

easements. FRPP was reauthorized in the Farm Security

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill). Minnesota

NRCS became involved in FRPP during FY 2003.

Accomplishments

• NRCS in Minnesota advertised a Request for

Proposals for the FRPP and received one

application from Dakota County. This

application met FRPP guidelines and was funded

with $1,268,000.

• As Dakota County enters into conservation

easements for Farmland Protection, NRCS will

pay up to 50% of the value up to the amount

funded in FY-03.

2003 State Report - Minnesota Executive Summary