 May 2024
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Table of Contents
Soil and Water Resources Management (SWRM) Grants
- Counties should have received the 2025 grant application report – please find your county’s page and verify the information is correct.
- 2024 SWRM Schedule of Awards will be emailed later this month. To finalize the awards for 2024, each county must confirm receipt of the document.
- Until proposed ATCP 50 receives approval from the governor, legislature, and is published, the new practices are not available for cost-share.
ATCP 50 Update
Look for opportunities to learn more about what will change in ATCP 50. The Bureau will be providing information through our website and through upcoming events over the coming months.
Nutrient Management News
- Previous SnapPlus trainings can be found here: Nutrient Management Trainings.
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2025 NMFE Office Hour is now available on the NMFE webpage, found here: Nutrient Management Farmer Education Grants.
- Annual NM reporting: If you have any last-minute adjustments to acres/numbers for 2023, please email Cody Calkins at calkins@wisconsin.gov so that we have the most accurate numbers.
- Keep an eye out for dates and locations for 2024 Nutrient Management Regional Meetings, which will be announced soon!
Land and Water Conservation Board - LWRM Plans
- Chippewa and Vernon counties will be presenting five-year LWRM plan reviews to the LWCB at the June 4, 2024 meeting.
- The next meeting of the LWCB Advisory Committee on Research will be July 2, 2024.
Conservation Engineering
- There are now several pre-approved waste transfer tanks that can be used for ag waste projects. These tanks are listed on the NRCS’ Field Office Technical Guide under:
Section 1-General Resource References à Engineering Resources à 3 – NEH and NEM – WI Supplements à AWMFH – Part 651 à Chapter 10-Agricultural Waste Management Systems Component Design. Direct links are also provided below:
10-WI-8B – Pre-engineered Waste Transfer Tanks
10-WI-29 – Wieser Waste Transfer Tanks Design Information
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AutoCAD & Civil 3D Training: Passing along a reminder that there are 10 recorded “CAD Happy Hour” trainings that were led by Stephanie Schultz, NRCS’ State CAD Specialist. These are a good resource for those learning to use AutoCAD/Civil 3D or just want a refresher. Link to trainings found here.
- DNR recently announced that the Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) associated with the draft NR 320 rule for Structures in Navigable Waterways has been released for public comment through May 17. The draft EIA and rule that updates and consolidates five DNR administrative rules (NR 320, 323, 326, 328, 329) can be found here under the WW-Waterways section WW-06-22. These rules set policy for placing structures on and crossings over navigable waterways.
DATCP Drainage Program
As a reminder, annual reports for 2023 were due in December. If you haven’t already, please submit those reports to Barton T. Chapman, Drainage Program Manager, at Barton.Chapman@wisconsin.gov.
Farmland Preservation Program (FP) and Agricultural Enterprise Areas (AEA)
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- Counties that update or issue new CoCs for Tax Year 2023 should submit updates for their DOR Spreadsheet to DATCPWorkingLands@wisconsin.gov. Updates may be submitted as needed throughout the tax season.
- The 2024 Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA) petition cycle is in full swing. Petition materials for new designation and modification to existing AEAs are available on the Petitioning for AEA Designation webpage. Petitions will be accepted until August 2, 2024. If you are planning on petitioning for an AEA this year, please contact Wednesday Coye at coye@wisconsin.gov.
- The Conservation Compliance Forms webpage has been revamped and includes the updated Model Farm Inspection Form. Please contact Cody Calkins at calkins@wisconsin.gov if you have any questions regarding the model farm inspection form or updates to the Conservation Compliance webpage.
- For counties that have effective farmland preservation agreements, we have created a new webpage to explain the Farmland Preservation Agreement Release Process. This webpage contains information on who can file a release, the release requirements and application and information about the conversion fee.
- All new farmland preservation agreement applicants should use the updated Farmland Preservation Agreement Applicaiton. Completed application packets can be sent to datcpworkinglands@wisconsin.gov.
- On December 6, 2023, Governor Evers signed Assembly Bill 133, now Wisconsin Act 42, which makes changes to farmland preservation agreements minimum term lengths and increasing farmland preservation tax credits for all current participants. These changes went into effect on December 8, 2023 and will affect tax credit claims beginning tax year 2023. Check out the Legislative Updates to the Farmland Preservation Program handout for more information.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
- DATCP is in the process of mailing notification letters to landowners with CREP easements that are scheduled for monitoring. Monitoring CREP easements is important for ensuring the conservation benefits on each site continue, it helps maintain open communication with landowners and identifies potential issues prior to them becoming severe. LCDs should complete the CREP easement monitoring form and submit to DATCP for review. As with previous years, DATCP has also hired a CREP program intern for this summer to assist LCD staff with easement monitoring. They will be reaching out to county LCDs in early June, but if you would like to put your county on the list for monitoring assistance before then, please contact Brian Loeffelholz at Loeffelholz@wisconsin.gov.
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File naming for submitting to the DATCP CREP SFTP site: Please be sure to follow the file naming guidelines listed in the instructions when submitting enrollment materials to the secure website. DATCP receives agreements, transfers, buyouts, and cost share requests to this site and the naming protocol helps ensure your documents get to the correct location and are processed in a timely manner. Below are examples of the file naming:
- Agreement Submittal:
[County]_[OwnerLastName][OwnerFirstName]_[New/Reenrroll]_[Submital YearMonthDate].pdf
Example: “Dane_JonesDan_New_2016mar28.pdf” or “Iowa_FoyTrust_Reenroll_2024apr22.pdf”
- Cost Share Request:
[County]_[Agreement#]_[OwnerLastName][OwnerFirstName]_CostShare_[Submital YearMonthDate].pdf
Example: Grant_3245_RolandTrust_CostShare_2024july07.pdf
- Landowner Transfer:
[County]_[Agreement#]_[OwnerLastName][OwnerFirstName]_Transfer_[Submital YearMonthDate].pdf
Example: Iowa_4284_NagelTrust_Transfer_2024june05.pdf
- Buyout Request:
[County]_[Agreement#]_[OwnerLastName][OwnerFirstName]_Buyout_[Submital YearMonthDate].pdf
Example: Sauk_3744_Weirich_Buyout_2024March20.pdf
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Agricultural Impact Statement (AIS) Program
Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program
We have funding for groups to host regional winter workshops or spring field days in the range of $500-$1,500 per event through the Producer-Led Regional Network effort. Contact your regional coordinator or Randy Zogbaum at Randalll.Zogbaum@wisconsin.gov for more information or if you have ideas for a shared, collaborative event to host with other groups in your region.
Soil Health Program
The new online Soil Health curriculum is now live and available on our soilhealthtraining.wi.gov website. The purpose of this curriculum is to develop a common definition and understanding of Soil Health and develop some guideposts of how to implement soil health systems on Wisconsin farms. The curriculum will assist in developing a common language of Soil Health in Wisconsin agriculture in modules 1-3 while module 4 focuses on applying soil health in Wisconsin cropping systems. The curriculum will incorporate both traditional and citizen science to demonstrate the mindset necessary to be successful as a soil health farmer. The primary audiences are LCD staff, other agriculture professionals in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin farmers, though community members may also be interested in the training.
The first objective is to discuss what soil health is (and isn’t) by defining some basic vocabulary and concepts! The second objective is to demonstrate how soil health systems can be implemented on Wisconsin farms.
For questions regarding this training or the soil health program, contact Randy Zogbaum at Randalll.Zogbaum@wisconsin.gov.
Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP)
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NOPP program staff would like to meet with any groups interested in learning more about on-farm research and how to put together your own research plan before the winter 2024 application cycle. |
Cover Crop Insurance Rebate Program
Application closed until December 2024.
Legislation Updates
The 2023-2024 Legislative Session ended in mid-March.
Staffing Updates
- Wrangler Jones has been hired as the new Conservation Agronomist with DATCP! Wrangler started in this new role on April 22. He brings a strong farming background and diverse ag experience to the position, and we’re excited to have him on the team. The Conservation Agronomist position was created through a new partnership between DATCP and USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service and will help expand capacity for Nutrient Management Farmer Education trainings and providing support to producer-led groups. You can reach Wrangler at jones@wisconsin.gov or (608) 896-3912.
- Coreen Fallat has accepted a new position as the outreach coordinator for the Remediation and Redevelopment program at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Her last day with DATCP is was May 3.
- Kelli Neitzel has accepted the position of Field Services Unit Leader within DATCP’s Conservation Engineering Section. This is a working supervisor position, and she will continue to work and provide technical assistance in the Southwest Area. One of Kelli’s first tasks will be to fill the vacant position of Environmental Specialist in the Southeast Area. Congratulations to Kelli on her new role!
- After 31 years with DATCP and 37 years in conservation, Drew Zelle will be retiring. Drew’s last day is Friday, May 24. Please help us in congratulating Drew and thanking him for all his years of service and dedication to conservation!
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Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Division of Agricultural Resource Management
Bureau of Land and Water Resources
2811 Agriculture Dr.
P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708
https://www.datcp.wi.gov
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