NATIONAL CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD REVIEW PROCESS

Conservation Practice Standards (CPS) are developed for the protection of the natural resources and land stewards. CPS provide the 

minimum critera for the design and installation of practices. The flowchart below illustrates the CPS development process.

1

BY

NATIONAL REVIEW

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

The national subject matter expert is 

responsible for reviewing current literature 

on the practice, reviewing any requests 

for changes suggested by states, and 

reviewing the practice with other subject 

matter experts. The national subject matter 

expert needs to consider the conservation 

practice’s impact on resource concerns such 

as water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, 

wildlife, etc. As well as consider impacts 

to human cultural issues such as small or 

disadvantaged producers, urban or rural 

considerations, as well as technological 

advances. 

21

DRAFT REVISION

OR

NEW STANDARD

If a change is needed, the national subject 

matter expert or their designee will draft a 

revised national standard.

13

INTERNAL

NRCS REVIEW

The new or revised national CPS then goes 

through an NRCS internal review process 

and is modified based on comments.

14

FEDERAL 

REGISTER

REVIEW

The new or revised national standard 

then goes through an external Federal 

Register review process and, if warranted, is 

modified based on public comments.

15

PUBLISH

NEW/REVISED

STANDARD

The new or revised national CPS is 

published with other CPS and support 

documents (practice specifications, 

operation and maintenance plans, etc.) 

ready for publishing once or twice a year.

16

MODIFY & 

REPUBLISH

WITHIN 1-YEAR

States have 1 year to revise and publish. 

State CPS are available through the Field 

Office Technical Guide (FOTG). If no state 

CPS is available in the FOTG, you should 

contact the appropriate State Office or your 

local USDA Service Center.

• States revise to meet state law, state 

climatic conditions, and state specific 

concerns.

• States typically notify local stakeholders 

National CPS are reviewed and updated every five years, for comment.

 but may be updated more frequent if changes in technology or other factors warrant.

NRCS uses Interim Conservation Practice Standards (ICPS) as a method to field test new technology or innovations. ICPS are based on requests from a University, 

Agricultural Research Service (ARS), an industry representative, members of the State Technical Committees (state-level technical leads that assist in the development 

and maintenance of the FOTG) , employees at the field office, or other such sources. The technology or innovation must have a scientific basis and have been previously 

evaluated. If the practice or innovation is from a vendor of the technology, the practice or innovation must have had the benefits of the practice verified by a third party.

Requests for an ICPS are reviewed and approved for development by the State Technical Guide Committee for the state which is submitting the ICPS and then forwarded 

for national level review by the national subject matter expert for the discipline responsible for the practice. For example, the National Forester would review a forestry ICPS, 

the National Water Management Engineer would review a new irrigation ICPS, etc.

Upon approval, the NRCS state is granted permission to use the ICPS over a 3-year evaluation period. At the end of a 3-year evaluation period, a final evaluation report is 

completed with specific disposition recommendations (either a new national conservation practice standard; incorporation into existing standard; or discontinuation). 

States can, and often do, request an extension for the evaluation if there has not been sufficient time to evaluate the practice or if there have been limited installations of 

the practice to evaluate.

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, lender and employer. NATIONAL CPS STANDARD REVIEW - APRIL 2024