NRCS in Missouri 2007

October 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007

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2007 Missouri Report  (PDF, 1.2 MB)

NRCS and its partners in Missouri helped land users plan conservation systems on more than 1 million acres and apply conservation systems on more than 950,000 acres during Fiscal Year 2007.

NRCS provided assistance to establish irrigation management systems on 30,700 acres in Missouri, helped establish prescribed grazing systems on 223,300 acres in the state’s grassland areas, assisted with pest management on 141,900 acres, and nutrient management on 146,000 acres. NRCS also helped landowners improve wildlife habitat on 75,500 acres throughout the state.

Missouri’s natural resources conservation team also provided technical assistance to install 101 animal waste management systems through the implantation of comprehensive nutrient management plans. 

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)

Technical assistance is simply about helping people. The CTA program provides technical assistance supported by science-based technology and tools to help people conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources. The CTA program provides the technical capability (including direct conservation planning, design, and implementation assistance) that helps people plan and apply conservation on the land. This assistance is provided to individuals, groups, and communities that make natural resource management decisions affecting private, and other non-federal lands.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals.It provides financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

Missouri farmers received $20.2 million in EQIP financial assistance in Fiscal Year 2007. It funded 1,401 of the 3,999 Missouri EQIP applications. This financial assistance will help install conservation practices that will reduce soil erosion, use water more efficiently, and improve grazing land, wildlife habitat and water quality.

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

CSP supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing financial assistance for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. CSP identifies and rewards landowners and farmers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management.

Since CSP was first offered in 2004, the program has been active in eight watersheds across Missouri, resulting in 1,583 CSP contracts. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, Missouri’s 1,583 contract participants earned payments totaling more than $28 million. There were no opportunities for new contracts in FY 2007.

Cooperative Soil Survey Program

The Missouri Cooperative Soil Survey Program continued to be a leader in updating soil survey information and in delivering this information electronically to the public. The state’s partnership continues to be proactive, and is a national leader in both progress and innovation.

This partnership effort provided customers with updated soils information for about 2 million acres (about 5 percent of Missouri’s land area) during FY 2007.

Missouri soils information has been distributed on the Web Soil Survey website: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/, on the National Soil Data Mart, http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov, and on the state-supported Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems (CARES) web site: http://soils.missouri.edu/surveys/soildata.html.

Current activities are focused on updating the soils information for a more consistent product for all people in Missouri. The soils staff also developed two new interpretations: Black Walnut Suitability Index; and Soil Potential Ratings for On-Site Waste Disposal.

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

FRPP provides an opportunity for USDA to purchase development rights from private landowners to keep productive farmland in agricultural use and to protect historical sites on agricultural land. USDA provides matching funds to organizations with existing farmland protection procedures to help them acquire permanent conservation easements from landowners interested in maintaining their current farming enterprise.

In Fiscal Year 2007, Missouri NRCS enrolled two tracts which would protect 180 acres adjacent to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, near Springfield, from development.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

GRP offers landowners an opportunity to restore and protect grassland and pastureland rather than converting it to cropland or other uses. In FY 2007, more than $470,000 in financial assistance was paid to Missouri landowners to permanently protect 600 acres of grassland from conversion.

Plant Materials Program

The Elsberry Plant Materials Center (PMC) helps land users, federal, state and local partners, and industry growers in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri protect, conserve and improve natural resources by providing plant materials and plant related technology. The staff researches plants to determine their possible uses in preventing soil erosion, providing wildlife food and cover and in protecting related natural resources. 

Suitable plants are released from the PMC and made available through nurseries and commercial seed growers.Three new plants for conservation uses were released in 2007: Sun Harvest Germplasm Hazelnut, and Northern and Central Iowa Germplasm Horsemint.

During its 73-year history, the Center has released 86 plants. The retail value of those plants sold in 2007 by private nurseries and commercial seed growers was approximately $3.25 million.

The PMC is also increasing its efforts at evaluating plants for bioenergy. A study of in-field weathering affects on biomass yield and biofuel quality of warm-season-grass species was established on the PMC.

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

The premise of the RC&D program is that local people know what is best for their communities. Because of this, local people create and organize their own RC&D areas, define their own goals, and work with a broad range of public and private entities to achieve their objectives. 

Missouri’s eight, multi-county RC&D areas completed 177 projects during Fiscal Year 2007. Those activities improved water quality, provided information and education assistance, resolved waste utilization issues, and supported rural tourism. They also benefited fish and wildlife, economic development, forestry, cultural resources, and local natural resources.

Watershed Program (PL-566)

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act authorizes NRCS to provide assistance to local organizations in planning and implementing watershed projects.

Missouri had a $2.9 million allotment of PL-566 watershed implementation funds in Fiscal Year 2007. The funds were used to award seven contracts in eight watersheds. The contracts are for constructing 34 floodwater retarding structures.

The Caldwell County Commission has acquired 75 percent of the required 900 acres for construction of the 362-acre Little Otter Creek multipurpose reservoir. Construction is scheduled for 2009.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

WRP helps landowners restore wetlands on agricultural and non-agricultural lands. Restored wetlands provide wildlife habitat for migratory birds, threatened and endangered species and other wetland wildlife. WRP started as a pilot in Missouri in 1992. To date, 812 applications have been funded statewide encompassing 119,300 acres. NRCS enrolled 14 applications covering 7,100 acres during Fiscal Year 2007.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

WHIP is designed to maintain ecosystem diversity by improving habitats of reduced or declining wildlife populations within agricultural systems. Missouri obligated more than $735,000 with 83 contracts during FY 2007.

Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)

CCPI targets watersheds of special significance and other geographic areas of environmental sensitivity. It funds projects that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in those areas.

The University of Missouri-Columbia is receiving $181,426 to complete rapid watershed assessments on four Missouri watersheds: Sac River; South Grand River; Lower Osage River; and the Lower Gasconade River. The assessments will provide initial estimates of where conservation investments would best address the concerns of landowners, conservation districts, and other community organizations and stakeholders. Landowners and leaders can use this information to set local priorities and determine the best actions to achieve their goals.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

The University of Missouri is concluding a project initiated in 2004 to perfect variable-rate nitrogen application on corn using sensors that measure chlorophyll in the crop canopy. The “Demonstration of Innovative Technology for Optimizing Nitrogen Application on Corn” project resulted in an Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rate that corn producers can use to gain more efficiency in applying nitrogen fertilizer while maximizing profits. NRCS provided $355,983 to support this work.

Through a separate grant, the University of Missouri also is receiving $241,400 to demonstrate farm profitability from utilizing various management techniques that promote soil and water conservation practices while improving pastures.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is receiving $190,600 for a project initiated during 2005 to evaluate a relatively new grassland management system. The “Evaluation of a Grazing System for Maintaining Grassland Integrity and Improving Upland Bird Habitat” project, commonly referred to as the “patch-burn grazing” project, needed to be investigated before managers and private landowners in Missouri could fully adopt the system. MDC designed this project to investigate the results of patch-burn grazing on: plant species composition; floristic quality and habitat for grassland birds; and cattle performance. 

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