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Conservation Planning
What is a Conservation Plan...
The Conservation plan is a record of management decisions, modifications, and
practices to help the land owner/operator enhance and protect soil, water,
livestock, and wildlife resources on the farm.
Benefits of Conservation Planning...
- You will save soil and nutrients
- You will protect your farm' productivity
- You will protect the water resources for your farm and your neighbors
- You will comply and be more eligible for environmental programs and
- financial/technical assistance
How is a plan developed...
You along with the assistance of a soil conservationist from AET Consulting,
together we will analyze your farm, field by field. We will sit down with you
and explain the various soil types on your farm, the slope and slope lengths of
each field. We will calculate your farm's current soil loss numbers and compare
that with the tolerable or allowable soil loss for the given soil types on your
farm. The various farm best management practices (BMPs) will be discussed with
you and options presented to minimize soil loss.
You make the decisions...
All of the resource tools will be provided to the operator of the farm. The
conservationist will inventory the resource conditions that exist on the farm.
They will help interpret the information about the land, soil, and production
capability. You, as the operator, can discuss resource concerns that you have
encountered. Then you will decide what changes you can make to protect and
improve your land. The conservationist will help you by offering a variety of
choices, based on the USDA-NRCS Field Office Technical Guide for your
county.
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP)
The objective of a CNMP is to combine management activities with conservation
practices. This combination, when implemented, will minimize the adverse impacts
of livestock farms on water quality. Each state has been delegated, by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to administer the CNMP process and
legislation.
Each state has their own protocols, standards, and specifications for their
respective CNMP. In all states, the plan will require a certain framework that
will include the following elements:
- Animal Outputs - manure and wastewater collection, handling, storage,
treatment and transfer
- Evaluation of cropland resources - soil types, sensitive areas,
setbacks
- Land Application and Nutrient Management on crop and pasture acres
- Record Keeping for CNMP compliance
- Feed Management and Inputs to Livestock
- Other Utilization Activities
The consultants at AET Consulting are professionals with in-depth training
and education, many years of field experience, and are committed to providing
you the very best in planning, options, and overall
recommendations.
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