2013 NRCS & IPM WG Objectives
1. Objective: Promote key updates and opportunities for FY 2014 conservation programs which support IPM, e.g., EQIP 595, IPM CAPs and CSP. Target outreach to growers and grower associations, Extension, consultants, state-lead-agencies and other IPM specialists. Annually, the USDA NRCS reviews and makes adjustments to program policy, eligible practices and financial assistance payments, e.g., MN NRCS has a new requirement for FY2013 that will require completion of an IPM CAP before a grower can enroll in 595.
a. Deliverable: Host two national teleconferences after NRCS finalizes FY 2014 EQIP program and target IPM stakeholders, e.g., Extension, EPA, growers and grower associations, TSPs and consultants. Distribute factsheets to alert stakeholders to changes to financial assistance payments, eligible practices for EQIP 595 and opportunities for growers to participate in IPM CAPs. EQIP options are finalized between October and November and signup deadlines are in January. In January 2012 the Group organized a national teleconference to discuss national payment rates and opportunities for growers and consultants to participate in EQIP.
b. Deliverable: Identify contacts for all key specialty crop grower meetings in the North Central Region (NCR) and ensure FY 2014 EQIP 595, IPM CAPs and CSP information are presented at the meeting and/or in meeting handouts. Since 2010, the Group has presented on EQIP opportunities and program changes at the Minnesota Apple Growers Association winter meeting and other specialty crop and vegetable producers in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The goal is to expand the reach of this information to all grower meetings of regional importance.
c. Deliverable: Distribute four IPM success stories on EQIP program changes, payment rates and eligible practices to IPM stakeholders. We have developed national lists of grower associations, Extension and consultant contacts and will use Constant Contact, our Working Group listserv and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture listserv to disseminate this information to a national audience.
2. Objective: Increase consultant participation in the TSP program with partnerships between Extension, State and Federal IPM specialists, consultants and consultant organizations to increase awareness and opportunities for IPM consultants to participate in the NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP) program for EQIP 595, IPM CAPs and CSP. The TSP program was developed to encourage third-party consultants to provide technical assistance for conservation planning and conservation practice implementation. Participation by consultants in the program is far below potential and NRCS’s ability to award EQIP contracts is partially dependent on the availability of TSPs to work with growers. The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) program and National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC) have MOU’s with the NRCS to allow their certification programs to fulfill many requirements for qualification as a TSP for 595 and IPM CAPs.
a. Deliverable: Develop three articles which demonstrate the benefits and importance of the IPM CAPs, EQIP 595 and the TSP program to consultants. Additionally, this outreach will identify increases in TSP payment rates for IPM CAPs in 2013, program benefits of EQIP and promote training opportunities for consultants to pursue TSP certification. Publish in trade publications, newsletters and email lists. A lack of TSPs has always been a concern, but the regionalization of 595 has increased this need. For example, 595 options were not offered in IL and through regionalization, a comprehensive suite of practices for 595 is now being offered in the state. Growers are required to work with a TSP and there are only 18 595 and 12 IPM CAPs TSPs registered in IL, yet there are 1, 060 CCAs in the state that could be eligible for TSP certification.
b. Deliverable: Recruit at least 40 consultants to pilot the new IPM Practitioner exam using a distance learning proctor service in their community and promote this pilot opportunity to existing NAICC members. Low-cost proctor services, available through community libraries and technical colleges have become increasingly available and would allow us to promote the exam to consultants irrespective of their location. In 2010 the Group was awarded a $10,000 mini grant from the North Central IPM Center to develop exam materials for an IPM practitioner certification and conducted an exam pilot at the 2012 NAICC annual meeting. The NAICC now recognizes this exam with an IPM designation as part of their Certified Professional Crop Consultant (CPCC) credential. IPM consultants may satisfy most of the TSP certification requirements for 595 and IPM CAPs through the NAICC MOU for the CPCC.
3. Objective: Work with national NRCS program and technical specialists to help improve their capacity to make informed decisions on IPM policy which maximize the potential for 595 and IPM CAPs to increase adoption of IPM. The NRCS has proposed changes to 595 over the last two years that were intended to improve processes for establishing eligible practices and payment rates, and to ensure programs achieve intended outcome for reducing environmental risk from pest management. In 2012 the Group was successful in working with NRCS to redirect policy decisions that would have limited 595 payments to pesticide mitigation needs and eliminated payments for Prevention, Avoidance and Monitoring strategies.
a) Deliverable: Organize IPM training for national NRCS EQIP program and technical staff in the Washington DC area to witness the conservation benefits of IPM and learn more about how resource protection is accomplished through IPM.
b) Deliverable: Work with NRCS technical specialists to develop a Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST) training webinar series for NRCS field staff and TSPs. Historically, NRCS has not had to have an understanding of how to apply risk outputs to improve risk mitigation for growers. New NRCS requirements for 2013 will require use of WIN-PST by NRCS staff and consultants.
c) Deliverable: Develop a template with links to IPM elements and guidelines, IPM crop profiles and pest management strategic plans to include in state NRCS Electronic Field Office Technical Guides (EFOTG). The template will identify how these are useful, what they do and where they can be found. The EFOTG is a technical guide which serves as the primary scientific reference for NRCS and is accessible to all NRCS and the public and is designed to apply to the geographic region for which they are prepared.
4. Objective: Identify opportunities to secure additional funding NRCS and IPM Working Group: Grower Incentives for IPM.
a. Deliverable: Secure at least $10,000 in resources from funders from within or outside of our region to support continued Working Group efforts. Since 2009, our group has been funded by three of the four USDA IPM Centers and has leveraged an additional $51,500 for our efforts outside of our annual working group funds.
5. Objective: Continue to facilitate regular and multi-directional communications between NRCS staff and IPM specialists, nationally, through monthly conference calls, listserv communications and the website.
a. Deliverable: Hold monthly conference calls for working group members and project collaborators to engage in discussions on NRCS IPM policy and outreach with national and regional NRCS staff, IPM specialists and other state and federal lead agencies. Monthly call participation ranges from 13 to 23 professionals each month.
b. Deliverable: Maintain the group’s website to include current working group priorities, state and national information on EQIP 595, IPM CAPs and TSP training opportunities, membership information, monthly conference note, reports of collaborative projects, to help facilitate communication and collaborations between the NRCS, Extension, state IPM specialists and growers. Using Google Analytics we tracked web traffic and in 2012 there were 705 visits to our webpage.
c. Deliverable: Maintain on-line database consisting of state specific information on financial assistance payment rates for NRCS conservation programs (EQIP, CSP and CAPs) for all states, post these resources to our website. Collecting this information allows us to track changes in payment rates and practice scenarios and is used to inform IPM stakeholders on the EQIP options available in their state.
d. Deliverable: Maintain an online resource of state-specific EQIP 595 data, by crop, which can be used by NRCS, Extension and state IPM specialists. This information allows us to track crops, acres and dollars paid for 595 contracts and was used during the economic evaluation of the group’s effort in 2012 by Michigan State University economist Steve Miller.