Practiceactivity Code(146) (No.)

PollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlan

PracticeActivity Code(146) (No.)

1. Definition

A pollinatorhabitat enhancement plan is asite-specific conservation plandeveloped fora client that addresses theimprovement, restoration, enhancement, or expansion of flower-rich habitat that supportsnative and/ormanaged pollinators.

Thepollinatorhabitat enhancement planwill:

Meet NRCSqualitycriteria forsoil erosion control, waterquality, soil quality, plant condition, fish and wildlife, rangeland/pasture/grazed woodland health and productivity, and otheridentified resourceconcerns.
Complywith federal, state, tribal, and local laws, regulations, and permit requirements.
Meet theclient’s objectives.

2. PollinatorHabitat Enhancement Plan Technical Criteria

Thissectionestablishesthe minimumcriteriato beaddressedin thedevelopmentofPollinator

HabitatEnhancementPlans.

GeneralCriteria: APollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlanshallbedeveloped bycertifiedTechnicalService Providers(TSPs). In accordancewith Section1240(A), theEnvironmentalQuality Incentive Program(EQIP)programprovidesfundingsupportthrough contractswith eligibleproducers to obtainservicesofcertifiedTSPsfordevelopment ofPollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlans. ThespecificTSP criteriarequired forPollinator HabitatEnhancementPlan development is locatedon theTSP registry(TechReg)websiteat:

B. Background and siteinformation

Landownerinformation– name, address, operation, size
Location and plan map ofparcel

C. IdentifyClient Objectives such as:

1. Improvepollination serviceprovided bywild (unmanaged)bees by:

a. Increasing floral diversityandensuringcontinuous and diversebloom,

b. Increasingundisturbed habitat/ground(includingthe creation of alkaliorotherground-nestingbeebeds),

c. Increasingnestingopportunities fortunnel-nesting bees, and

d. Providingpollinatorrefugia.

2. Improvepollination service provided by managed bees by:
a. Increasing floral diversity and ensuring continuous and diverse bloom,
b. Providing readily accessible clean water

3. Increasediversityandavailabilityofbutterflyhost plants.

4. Increase abundanceofbeneficial insects importantforpest management.

5. Improve cost efficiency(e.g.removal ofmarginalcrop landfrom production and/orimprovement ofproducequalityfromenhanced pollination).

6. Maintain orimprovewildlifehabitat.

7. Maintain orimprovewaterquality.

8. Prevent or reduceerosion.

9. Beautifythelandscape.

10. Providepollinatorpopulations with refuge from pesticides.

11. Changeor adjust pesticideuseto reducehazardsforpollinator populations.

D. ExistingConditions

1. Createtheconservation plan map includingfield boundaries, streams, surface waters, wetlands, fences,and land uses.

2. Acquireasoils map andappropriatesoil descriptions fortheland useand resource concerns.

3. Identifythenumberof acres available.

4. Use an appropriatehabitat assessment, evaluation, orHabitat SuitabilityIndex model and (whenavailable)theEcological SiteDescription to definethe existingconditions forwildlife.

5. Document the existingmanagement practices andactivities on croppedand non-cropped portions oftheproperty.

E. DesiredFutureConditions/Goals

1. Theplant speciescomposition benefits adiversepollinator community(i.e., at least 12 species offloweringplants, threeofwhicharein bloom at anyone timeduring the early, mid, and late periods of the growing season.
Note: ifthe plantingis designed to support adjacent insect-pollinated agriculture, then:

Minimizebloom competition with insect-pollinated crops, and
Takecaretoavoid plants that mayserveas crop pest ordiseasehosts.

2. Thereis minimal weedcompetition, but theinclusion, where appropriate, of beneficial“weeds”(e.g.,milkweed as Monarch butterflyhost plants).

3. Largeareas ofundisturbed pollinatorhabitat areavailable:

No tillagein areasappropriate forground-nesting bees
Overgrown bunchgrasses forbumblebeenest sites
Host plants forbutterflies
Treecavities, standingdead trees,exfoliatingbark(e.g., in riparian or adjacent land) forwood-nestingbees

4. Record Keeping

Dates of first floweringfor each ofthepollinator-friendlyforageplant species
Specificpollinators, plants visited, and time-frame(daterange)of visits
Evidenceofground-nestingandwood-nestingbeeactivity
Ifprovidingcrop pollination services, recordcropyields

5. MonitoringPlan - Identifyspecificdates and datato be recorded.

6. OperationMaintenanceactivities forpractices - Ensurethat thesearefollowed

7. Adequateclean watersource(s) forhoneybees

F. PollinatorHabitat Enhancement Planning Documentation

1. Conservation plan map –scale, north arrow, planned and existingboundaries, fields, land use, appropriatemap symbols,and, where available,the identification of ecological sites byfield.

2. Soils map – legend, appropriateinterpretations, and, whereavailable,the ecological sitedescriptions

3. ResourceConcerns addressed bytheconservation plan

4. Contingencyplans forharsh winter conditions, drought, fire, flooding,and other extraordinaryevents

5. Conservation plan(recordofdecisions). CompleteHardcopyofthe client’s plan (MsWordcopy)with theplannedconservation practices and thesitespecificspecifications in aNRCSapproved jobsheet, orseparate plan when the following practices are planned:

Code / Practice Name
327 / Conservation Cover
340 / CoverCrop
342 / Critical Area Planting
386 / Field Border
390 / Riparian Herbaceous Cover
391 / Riparian Forest Buffer
393 / Filter Strip
422 / Hedgerow Planting
645 / Upland WildlifeHabitat Management

Forother planned practices, documenttheplanned practice amount, the fields wherethepracticeis to be applied, and theplannedyearof application.

3. DeliverablesfortheClient– a hardcopy of theplanthatincludes:

• Coverpage– name, address, phoneofclientandTSP;TotalAcresof thePlan, signatureblocks fortheTSP, producer,andasignatureblockfor theNRCS acceptance.

• Soilsmap and appropriate soildescriptions

• Resourceassessment results (wind and watererosion,habitatassessments, soil fertility, soilquality, and othersthatmaybeneeded)

• Conservation plan(recordofdecisions). CompleteHardcopyofthe client’s plan (MsWordcopy)with theplannedconservation practices and thesitespecificspecifications in aNRCSapproved jobsheet, orseparate plan when the following practices are planned:

Forother planned practices, documenttheplanned practice amount, the fields wherethepracticeis to be applied, and theplannedyearof application.

4. DeliverablesforNRCSFieldOffice:

• CompleteHardcopyand Electroniccopyof theclient’splan(MsWord copy) and other applicable digital support documents.

• DigitalConservation PlanMap withfields, features, and structuralpractices located.

• DigitalSoilsMap.

NRCS

August 2012

Page 1 of 4