Adams County Voluntary Stewardship Plan€¦ · Adams County Voluntary Stewardship Program April...

Adams County Voluntary Stewardship Program

April 11, 20171

Adams County

Voluntary Stewardship Plan

Presented by

Ben Floyd and Nora Schlenker, Anchor QEA

April 11, 2017


April 11, 20172

• Welcome and Follow-up from Last Meeting

• Volume One – Content Review cont.

Goals and Benchmarks

Implementation

• Review Comments

• Quantitative Goals and Benchmarks

• Next Steps

Agenda


April 11, 20173

March Work Group Meeting

Re-cap


April 11, 20174

• First Impressions - Work Plan was easy to read, spell out acronyms

• Regional Setting

Water erosion potential should not be highlighted

Change “Water Quality” to “Water Quality Function”

• Baseline and Existing Conditions

Remove unknown streams from the stream calculations

Add a callout box discussing irrigation influenced wetlands

Edits to the agricultural viability SWOT analysis

• Protection and Enhancement Strategies

Animal holding facilities need to be addressed

Key technologies should be highlighted

• Goals and Measurable Benchmarks

Update the indirect vs. direct effects graphic to better represent where critical

areas are located in relation to agricultural lands

3/14 Work Group Meeting Re-cap


April 11, 20175

• Editorial comments

Adding clarity

• Add discussion on increases in agricultural practices

being considered a decrease in critical area

functions and values under VSP

• Consider adding recreational species into HCA table

• No dusky grouse in Adams County

• Add discussion about other wildlife species

• PHS is not a monitoring tool

Comments Received


April 11, 20176

Photo Request


April 11, 20177

Work Plan Review

• Volume One – Content Review

Goals and Benchmarks

Implementation


April 11, 20178

Quantitative Goals and

Benchmarks


April 11, 20179

Measurable Benchmark: Protect/ Enhance Critical Areas functions and values

Goals: Protect – Voluntary Enhancement

Ag.

Viability

Water

Quality

Hydrology Soil

Health

Habitat

Objectives: Protect Through Stewardship Practices

Direct Seed, Mulch Till/ Range Watering/Nutrient Management/ Pest Management/ Prescribed

Grazing/ Fencing/ Range Planting…


April 11, 201710

Direct and Indirect Effects


April 11, 201711

Stewardship Strategies –

Key Practices for Direct Intersects

Habitat Management Stewardship Strategies

Key Practices Critical Area

Conservation Cover

Critical Area Planting

Grassed Waterway

Upland and Wetland Wildlife

Habitat Management

Tree/Shrub Establishment

Herbaceous Weed Control

Hedgerow Planting

Fencing

Discuss whether key

practices:

• Address resource

concerns and critical

areas function

protections; and

• Are widely implemented,

anticipated for continued

application, or

• Are identified as major

practice trends

anticipated in the future.


April 11, 201712

Stewardship Strategies –

Key Practices for Indirect IntersectsStewardship Strategies

Key Practices Functions

Pest Management

Water Quality

Soil

Habitat

Nutrient Management Water Quality

Soil

Residue/Tillage Management

Reduced Till

No Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed

Water Quality

Hydrology

Soil

Habitat

Water Manement

Irrigation Water Management

Sprinkler System

Microirrigation

Livestock Management

Prescribed Grazing

Stock Watering Facilities

Soil Management

Cover Crop

Conservation Crop Rotation

Mulching

Discuss whether key

practices:

• Address resource

concerns and critical

areas function

protections; and

• Are widely implemented,

anticipated for continued

application, or

• Are identified as major

practice trends

anticipated in the future.


April 11, 201713

Protection Benchmarks (Maintain Baseline

Conditions)

Stewardship Strategies Protection Benchmark

Residue/Tillage Management

No net loss of acres managed under

stewardship strategies

Pest Management

Nutrient Management

Water Management


Soil Management

Habitat Management


April 11, 201714

Measurable Benchmarks

• Protection benchmarks:

Maintain 2011 baseline conditions

Estimated annual disenrollment rates for key NRCS practices

from the 2011 baseline per 2011 – 2016 enrollment data

Need to include additional CD-led projects into the baseline

A more accurate estimate and understanding of which practices

are discontinued can be used to modify these benchmarks

• Benchmarks are anticipated to be adapted:

As new technologies and practices are applied by producers

To address unanticipated changes in environmental and market

conditions


April 11, 201715

Measurable Benchmarks – Protection/2011

Baseline

Stewardship

Strategies

Historic Enrollment

(2011 – 2016)Protection Benchmarks

Average Annual

Enrollment

Estimated Yearly

Disenrollment

2021 Predicted

Benchmark

(disenrollment x 10)

2026 Predicted

Benchmark


Residue/Tillage

Management7,621 acres 457 acres (6%) 4,573 acres 6,859 acres

Pest


Nutrient


Water

Management1,158 acres 35 acres (3%) 347 acres 521 acres


April 11, 201716


Baseline

Stewardship

Strategies

Historic Enrollment

(2011 – 2016)Protection Benchmarks

Average Annual

Enrollment

Estimated Yearly

Disenrollment

2021 Predicted

Benchmark


2026 Predicted

Benchmark


Livestock

Management

1,117 acres

1 watering

facilities

67 acres (6%)

0.03 watering

facilities (3%)

670 acres

0 watering

facilities

1,005 acres

0 watering

facilities

Soil

Management

796 acres

1,028 feet

48 acres (6%)

62 feet (6%)

478 acres

617 feet

716 acres

925 feet

Habitat

Management

46 acres

2,761 feet

3 acres (6%)

83 feet (3%)

28 acres

828 feet

41 acres

1,242 feet


April 11, 201717

Enhancement Benchmarks (above 2011 Baseline)

Stewardship Strategies Enhancement Benchmark

Residue/Tillage Management• Enhancement acres based on:

Historic enrollment from 2011 – 2016

Discount estimated disenrolled acres

(protection benchmark)

Discuss:

• Enhancement Plus - Additional opportunities

for stewardship practices Based on known and anticipated (highly

probable) future funding (e.g., RCPP or other

anticipated funding)

Desired funding for additional targeted

enhancements

Producer-funded practices

Pest Management

Nutrient Management

Water Management


Soil Management

Habitat Management


April 11, 201718


Baseline

Stewardship

Strategies

Historic Enrollment

(2011 – 2016)Enhancement Benchmarks

Average Annual

Enrollment

Estimated Yearly

Disenrollment

2021 Predicted

Benchmark

(historic minus

protection)

2026 Predicted

Benchmark

(historic minus

protection)

Residue/Tillage


Pest


Nutrient


Water



April 11, 201719


Baseline

Stewardship

Strategies

Historic Enrollment

(2011 – 2016)Enhancement Benchmarks

Average Annual

Enrollment

Estimated Yearly

Disenrollment

2021 Predicted

Benchmark

(historic minus

protection)

2026 Predicted

Benchmark

(historic minus

protection)

Livestock

Management

1,117 acres

1 watering

facilities

67 acres (6%)

0.03 watering

facilities (3%)

2,681 acres

3 watering

facilities

5,697 acres

6 watering

facilities

Soil

Management

796 acres

1,028 feet

48 acres (6%)

62 feet (6%)

1,910 acres

2,468 feet

4,059 acres

5,244 feet

Habitat

Management

46 acres

2,761 feet

3 acres (6%)

83 feet (3%)

110 acres

7,455 feet

235 acres

15,324 feet


April 11, 201720

Using CPPE to relate conservation practices

benefits to critical areas functions and values

Stewardship

Strategies

CPPE Function Effects Score

(Averaged score for key practices)Critical Areas

Water

Quality

Effect

Hydrology

Effect

Habitat

EffectSoil Effect WET HAB CARA GHA FFA

Residue and Tillage

Managementg g g g g g g

Pest Management g g g g g g g g

Nutrient Management g g g g g g

Water Management g g g g g g g g g

Livestock Management g g g g g g

Soil Management g g g g g g

Habitat Management g g g g g g g

Beneficial Effects Neutral or No

Effects

Adverse Effects

High Medium Slight Slight Moderate High

g g g g g g g g g g g g g


April 11, 201721

Relate Conservation Practices Benefits to Critical

Areas Functions and Values


April 11, 201722

Producer Participation Goals


April 11, 201723

RCW 36.70A.720 (1)(c) Develop goals for participation by agricultural

operators conducting commercial and noncommercial agricultural

activities in the watershed necessary to meet the protection and

enhancement benchmarks of the work plan

• Measurable Benchmarks for the Adams VSP are

based on reported participation

• We need sufficient producer participation and

reporting to defend that VSP is working as planned

• We need to confirm that our estimates of

disenrollment are accurate or conservative

Producer Participation Goals


April 11, 201724

Current Producer Participation

Total in CountyParticipating in

VSP

Number of

Farms713 Unknown

Number of

OperatorsUnknown Unknown

Agricultural

Acres1,128,162 273,644 (24%)*

* This is likely overestimated due to double counting


April 11, 201725

• Participation Goal

How many producers are currently implementing

stewardship practices?

How many are ‘self funded’?

How many additional producers/ acres would we like to

see participate through 2026?

• Reporting Goal

What percent of producers are currently reporting

stewardship practices in 2011 – 2016 through funding

source?

How many additional producers can we expect to report

self funded VSP participation in the next 10 years?

Producer Participation Goals - Discussion


April 11, 201726

Next Steps


April 11, 201727

• Additional comments send to Nora: [email protected]

• May 9, 2017 11:00 to 1:00

Continue to review and comment on Work Plan

VSP Overview and Checklist

• June 13, 2017 11:00 to 1:00

Provide final comments on Work Plan

• Anchor QEA prepare draft of Work Plan by June 30

• Continue efforts in fall 2017 based on funding

Expected Next Steps

mailto:[email protected]

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