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Tennessee Bulletin Number 300-08-1

November 5, 2007

Subject: LTP – Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

Purpose: To notify all offices of counties approved for the Emergency Conservation Program.

Expiration Date: September 30, 2008

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee and the Natural Resources Conservation Service for NRCS to provide technical support for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). The following seven counties have been approved and funded to participate in the ECP as a result of the recent drought:

Giles, Lawrence, Wayne, Maury, Williamson, Smith, and Wilson.

No other counties in the state are funded for ECP at this time. The application period ended October 10, 2007. The approved ECP practices that landowners will be able to apply will consist of (1) the clean-out of existing ponds (ECP7) under the condition that the dry pond is associated with a spring/seep that will fill up the pond after clean-out within seven (7) calendar days; (2) the installation of alternative water systems (pipelines and troughs – ECP6); and (3) well installation (ECP6).

Policy

The following guidance is provided to participating NRCS field offices:

    1. All ECP applications provided by FSA will be held until after the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applications are ranked and loaded into Protracts (November 16), and a funding code and time charge limit provided.
    2. NRCS responsibilities will include the completion of environmental evaluations for the FSA-approved practices following the same procedures as in other cost-share programs. This will include the completion of the TN-CPA-25 with emphasis on the following specifics:
      a. The ‘Cultural Resources Undertaking Review Worksheet’ will be required and submitted to Don Merritt, the archaeologist currently on retainer for other cost-share programs. All approved ECP practices are ground-disturbing practices.

      b. An endangered species review will be required following current procedures of notifying the appropriate NRCS biologist and the completion of appropriate documentation forms.

      c. Any practice application proposed within the primary floodplain of a designated Wild and Scenic River listed at http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/na/scenicrivers/ will require that the NRCS State Office (Assistant State Conservationist for Programs) be notified for approval.

      d. Landowners requiring ARAP or 26A permits will be informed that it is their responsibility to obtain the permits.

    3. Technical assistance, including the necessary siting, surveys, and designs for the installation of these practices, will be provided by NRCS consistent with the required engineering designs and approvals for these practices (Pond – 378, Watering Facility – 614, and Water Well - 642).
    4. The development of a conservation (Toolkit) plan will be required for the installation of these practices.
    5. Area Conservationists will be provided an allocation for direct charge plans.

Area Conservationists should be contacted if it appears workloads will exceed allowed budgets or time frames for completing the work.

/s/
Kevin Brown
State Conservationist


DIST: O

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