INTRODUCTION

Goal: To make conservation planning more accessible for planners, farmers and landowners

The “BIG PICTURE”

overview

Development of a planning tool to assist with conservation planning.

LATIS / FarmLATIS

•Hydrologic modeling tool

•Interface with GIS

•Grocery list of conservation practices (BMPs)

•Grocery list of incentive programs

The “BIG PICTURE”

overview

Wha

t

Why

A G R I C U L T U R E U R B A N

METHOD

survey design

METHOD

survey design

The Survey•Survey design followed Dillman’s Tailored Design Method (Dillman 2007)

•32 total questions (plus sub-questions)

METHOD

survey implementation

The Survey•Web-based survey following Dillman’s Tailored Design Method (Dillman 2007)

1) Prenotice e-mail

2) Questionnaire

3) Replacement Questionnaire (Reminder 1)

4) Replacement Questionnaire/Thank You Letter (Reminder 2)

•QuestionPro: Web-based survey software (www.questionpro.com)

Chosen as the host Web site for the questionnaire

METHOD

survey implementation

The Survey•Distributed to 253 Mississippi NRCS employees

•187 Started

•156 Completed

•61.6% Completion

•Average completion time: 21 minutes

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

web-based survey

DEMOGRAPHICS

gender & age range

DEMOGRAPHICS

education

DEMOGRAPHICS

nrcs

DEMOGRAPHICS

conclusion

“Soil conservation is multidisciplinary and relies on numerous specialists…to develop mutually supporting soil and water conservation measures” (Helms 1992)

–Hugh Hammond Bennettfounder SES, SCS, & NRCS

+All educational degrees

+Over 13 educational backgrounds

+Over 13 job positions

-Low gender diversity

-Heavy emphasis on ‘soil’

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

overview

CCPICooperative Conservation Partnership

Initiative

a voluntary program established to foster conservation partnerships that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds and air sheds of special significance

CRP Conservation Reserve Programencourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive

acreage to vegetative cover

CSP Conservation Security Programidentifies and rewards those farmers and ranchers who are meeting the highest standards of

conservation and environmental management on their operations

CTAConservation Technical Assistance

Programa voluntary program that provides technical assistance supported by science-based technology

and tools to help people conserve, maintain, and improve their natural resources

EQIPEnvironmental Quality Incentives

Programa voluntary program that provides assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil,

water, air, and related natural resources on their land

12 incentive programs included in survey

Comprehensive (Broad Scope)

overview

GLCIGrazing Lands Conservation Initiative

collaborative process of individuals and organizations working to maintain and improve the management, productivity, and health of the Nation's privately owned grazing land by providing technical assistance to help the landowners use the latest and best technology to make grazing land management decisions

GRP Grassland Reserve Programa voluntary program that helps landowners and operators restore and protect grassland, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands

HFRP Healthy Forests Reserve Programa voluntary program established for the purpose of restoring and enhancing forest ecosystems to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species, to improve biodiversity, and enhance carbon sequestration

RC & D

Resource Conservation and Development Program

encourage and improve the capability of volunteer local elected and civic leaders in designated RC & D areas to plan and carry out projects for resource conservation and community development

WHIP Wildlife Habitat Initiatives Programa voluntary program that encourages the creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support wildlife populations, and provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property

WRP Wetlands Reserve Programlandowners receive financial incentives to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring marginal land from agriculture

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS12 incentive programs included in survey

EWP Emergency Watershed Program

to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements, for runoff retardation and soil erosion prevention to safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed whenever fire, flood or any other natural occurrence is causing or has caused a sudden impairment of the watershed

Specific

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

ccpi: cooperative conservation partnership initiative

How often are the following incentive programs recommended vs

How often do the farmers enroll

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

crp: conservation reserve program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

csp: conservation security program

cta: conservation technical assistance program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

eqip: environmental quality incentives program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

ewp: emergency watershed program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

glci: grazing lands conservation initiative

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

grp: grassland reserve program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

hfrp: healthy forests reserve program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

rc&d: resource conservation & development

program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

whip: wildlife habitat initiatives program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

wrp: wetlands reserve program

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

Cultural

Economic

Social

Variables

17.78%

64.44%

17.78%

Reasons farmers do not enroll in Incentive ProgramsINCENTIVE PROGRAMS

What are the farmers’ reasons for choosing not to participate in the incentive programs?

conclusion

•“Some programs are not funded in our county and others are not adequately funded such as EQIP and WHIP”

•“No funding available in the County”

•“The cost share rates are not up-dated to reflect the actual cost of the material”

•“Some mistrust of the Government”•“Not totally trusting in the Government”

•“Don't want to get involved with the Government”•“Some are afraid of the government”

•“Distrust or indifference by office managers”•“Some folks just don't trust the government still”

conclusion

INCENTIVE PROGRAMSReasons for correlation:

•Increased recommendations = increased enrollment

•High financial incentive = high enrollment

vs Small financial incentive = low enrollment

•“Umbrella” programs

•Are the real enrollment numbers similar to the NRCS agents’ estimation?

ConclusionHigh Rec/Enrollment rate Low Rec/Enrollment rate

CRP CCPICTA CSPEQIP GLCIWHIP GRP

HFRP

conservation practices

RESOURCE CONCERNSList of multiple Conservation Practices (BMPs) summarized by the NRCS into 20 Resource Concerns1. Soil Erosion

2. Soil Health

3. Soil Contaminants

4. Soil Structure

5. Water Quantity (non-irrigated land)

6. Water Quantity (irrigated land)

7. Water Quality

8. Plant Condition (Productivity, Health & Vigor)

9. Plant Condition (Wildfire Hazard)

10.Plant Pests

11.Fish & Wildlife (Inadequate Habitat Quality)

12.Plants, Fish, & Wildlife (Declining Species- Species of Concern)

13.Livestock Nutrition & Husbandry

14.Air Quality (Particulate Matter)

15.Air Quality (Ozone Precursors)

16.Air Quality (Greenhouse Gasses)

17.Air Quality (Ammonia)

18.Air Quality (Odor)

19.Depletion of Fossil Fuel Resources

20.Energy Production

RESOURCE CONCERNS

soil

With what regularity are the conservation practices related to the following resource concerns recommended to farmers/landowners whom you have advised?

water quantity

RESOURCE CONCERNS

water quality

RESOURCE CONCERNS

Water quality testing associated with non-point source pollution

plant condition

RESOURCE CONCERNS

wildlife

RESOURCE CONCERNS

livestock

RESOURCE CONCERNS

air quality

RESOURCE CONCERNS

air quality (continued)

RESOURCE CONCERNS

fossil fuels & energy production

RESOURCE CONCERNS

conclusion

RESOURCE CONCERNSThe SCS was reorganized into the NRCS:

“ to focus on the fact that the agency’s [NRCS] mission encompassed water, air, plants, and animals in addition to soil”

(Helms 1992)

•Soil and water are the primary resources of concern

•Through increased awareness by the NRCS, other resource concerns will receive more attention in the future

•NRCS employees identified the importance of water quality testing, but how can we implement more monitoring programs?

CONCLUSIONS

FarmLATIS should:

•(Demographics) meet the needs of end users who are not likely to be familiar with advanced digital technologies such as GIS and hydrologic modeling

•(Incentive Programs) promote the less common comprehensive programs in order to encompass a broader range of natural resources

-promote the use of water quality testing

-streamline the enrollment process for farmers/landowners

•(Resource Concerns) increase the awareness of conservation practices associated with the less common resource concerns (beyond soil and water)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank:

•Mississippi Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

•Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES)

•Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

•Mississippi State University Department of Landscape Architecture

•Advisor: Dr. Tim Schauwecker