Grazing Managementplan

Grazing ManagementPlan

PracticeActivity Code (110) (No.)

1. Definition

A grazingmanagement plan is asitespecificconservation plan developed fora client which addresses oneormore resourceconcernson land wheregrazing related activities orpractices will beplanned and applied.

Thegrazingmanagement plan will:

1. Meet NRCSqualitycriteria forsoil erosion control, waterquality, fish andwildlife, rangeland/pasture/grazedwoodland health and productivity, and otheridentified resource concerns.
2. Will bedeveloped followingtheprincipleprovided in Chapter11 oftheNationalRangeand PastureHandbook.
3. Complywith federal, state, tribal, and local laws, regulations, and permit requirements.
4. Meet theclient’s objectives.

1. GrazingManagement Plan Technical Criteria

Thissectionestablishesthe minimumcriteriato beaddressedinthedevelopmentofGrazingManagementPlans.

A. GeneralCriteria: A GrazingManagementPlan shallbedevelopedbycertifiedTechnicalServiceProviders (TSPs).In accordancewithSection 1240 (A), theEnvironmentalQualityIncentiveProgram (EQIP)programprovides fundingsupportthrough contractswith eligibleproducersto obtain servicesofcertifiedTSPsfordevelopmentofGrazingManagementPlans.ThespecificTSP criteriarequiredfor GrazingManagementPlan development islocated on theTSP registry (TechReg)websiteat:

B. Background and siteinformation

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

C. IdentifyClient Objectives such as:

1. Improve forageyield, quality, diversity, and persistence.
2. Meet livestock nutritional needs.
3. Maximizebrowse, forage and roughagepastureyields.
4. Improveproduction cost efficiency.
5. Maintain orimprovewildlifehabitat.
6. Maintain orimprovewaterquality
7. Prevent or reduceerosion
8. Others as appropriate

D. ExistingConditions

1. Consult Ecological SiteDescription as referencecondition
2. Vegetativespecies, diversity,and condition byland use, ecological siteand foragesuitabilitygroup.
3. Animal types, (breedandspecies includingwildlife) and number
4. Acresavailable
5. Wastehandlingand storage
6. Wateringsystem
7. Fencing
8. Documentation of existingpractices/history/grazingrecords
9. Current forage androughage conditions
10. Current Animal demand/foragebalance (livestockand wildlife)
11. All Resource concerns(not meetingQualityCriteria)

E. DesiredFutureConditions

1. Record Keeping
2. MonitoringPlan
3. O &M forpractices
4. Nutrient Management asapplicable
5. Fencing
6. Animal Demand / Forage/RoughageBalance
7. AdequateWaterSource(s)
8. Plant species composition

F. Grazing LandPlanning Documentation

1. Conservation plan map –scale, north arrow, planned and existingboundaries, fields, paddocks, wateringsystems, fence, land use, appropriatemap symbols, identification of foragesuitabilitygroupsand/orecological sites byfield
2. Grazingdistribution andkeygrazingsites and species
3. Soils map – legend, interpretations, foragesuitabilityindexforgrazing activities, ecological sitedescriptions
4. ResourceConcerns addressed bytheconservation plan
5. Contingencyplans forwinter, drought, fire,flood mud, mortality, bio- security, etc.
6. Planned Animal demand/foragebalance (livestock and wildlife)
7. Conservation plan(recordofdecisions)(MsWord Document)to addresstheresourceneeds for the“Grazing ManagementPlan”.The record ofdecisionsshall include theplanned practice, scheduleforimplementation, and site-specificspecificationsto applythe conservation practice.Thesite-specificspecificationscan beon an NRCSJobsheet availablefortheconservationpracticeorin anarrativeformforthenon-engineering typepractices. Plannedengineeringtypepracticesshallincludetheconservation practice, scheduleofimplementation,andidentified on theplanmap. Theplanmay include,butarenotlimitedtothe conservationpractices listed below:

* Practices requiring site-specific specifications:

8. Additional practices forplanning consideration but notrequiring site-specific specifications include:

3. DeliverablesfortheClient– a hardcopy of theplanthatincludes:

• Coverpage– name, address, phoneofclientandTSP;TotalAcresof thePlan, signatureblocks fortheTSP,producer, andasignatureblockfortheNRCS acceptance.
• Soilsmap and appropriate soildescriptions
• Resourceassessment results (wind and watererosion,wateravailability, soilfertility, and othersthatmaybeneeded)
• Forthe practices listed above that require site-specific specifications prepare and document thesite-specificspecificationson how each practicewillbeapplied;whenthepracticewillbeapplied,andtheextent(acresor number) thatwillbeapplied.
• For all other planned practices identify in the plan whenthe practice willbeapplied, the extent, the practice location, and for structural practices locatethe practice ontheconservationplan map.

3. DeliverablesforNRCSFieldOffice:

• CompleteHardcopyand Electroniccopyof theclient’splan(MsWord copy) and other appropriate digital supporting documents.
• DigitalConservation PlanMap withfields, features, and structuralpractices located.
• DigitalSoilsMap.

NRCS

August 2012

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