September 2024
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Table of Contents
Soil and Water Resources Management (SWRM) Grants
- The 2025 Preliminary Joint Allocation Plan was presented to the Land and Water Conservation Board at the August 6, 2024 meeting. The Allocation Plan is open for a 30-day comment period, ending September 6, 2024. Email any comments to DATCPSWRM@wisconsin.gov.
- The new practices included in ATCP 50 are available for contracting as of June 1, 2024. DATCP staff have guidance available to help you implement and offer cost sharing in accordance with the new rule standards, which can be found here: ATCP 50 Practice Specific Information.
- For questions about practice cost sharing, review Table 2.2 in the SWRM Resources on our webpage. As always, reach out if you have further questions and we can help you find answers.
- Many of the SWRM forms have been updated with new content and new numbers. Please refer to Section 3 of the SWRM Grant Resources webpage to access these forms. We will be switching to using only these forms in 2025.
ATCP 50 Update
- ATCP 50 updates went into effect on June 1, 2024. Final rule language can be reviewed on the Wisconsin Legislature’s website. The Bureau has information on our website and will be hosting informative webinars in September and October. If you have any questions, email datcplandwater@wisconsin.gov.
- NEW PRACTICE INTRODUCTION: Conservation Cover (ATCP 50.663). This SEG-funded conservation practice allows for the establishment and maintenance of permanent vegetative cover in an agricultural setting to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and better soil health. It is available for lands covered with a nutrient management plan and require the county to commit to 10-year minimum planning and monitoring period for this practice. SWRM cost-share will cover the initial installation and the creation of the monitoring plan.
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This fall, DATCP is hosting ATCP 50 Office Hours related to non-structural practice updates. Each Office Hour will include a technical primer of the practice, a short discussion of the soil health benefits, and applicable SWRM cost-share requirements. Please send question ahead of time to DATCPLandWater@wisconsin.gov or join to ask questions during the session. All office hours are planned to be recorded and available for future viewing.
- To access a flyer listing all of the upcoming Office Hour sessions, click the button below.
Nutrient Management News
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NEW! - We have restocked Runoff Risk Advisory Keychains and Magnets! Please reach out to datcpsoilandwatershedmanagement@wisconsin.gov to request magnets and or keychains. When reaching out, please include how many of each you would like, as well as an address to mail them to.
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Second Annual Nutrient Management Regional Meetings Are Back! Join us at one of our five meeting locations across the state to hear about new and upcoming information related to nutrient management planning and the SnapPlus software! New this year is a virtual meeting option. All events are free and will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. except for the Eau Claire meeting, which will be from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. In-person events will offer light lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Wisconsin CCA Board and Wisconsin Land + Water! CEUs will be available for each event! Find your meeting location registration information here: Nutrient Management Trainings.
- Be on the lookout in the next week regarding the 2024 Annual Nutrient Management Survey and Calculator. There will also be an office hour to follow.
- Counties that would like some assistance on Nutrient Management Quality Assurance Reviews should email Cody Calkins at cody.calkins@wisconsin.gov. We are looking at providing assistance this year to at least three counties.
- Previous SnapPlus Trainings can be found here: Nutrient Management Trainings.
Land and Water Conservation Board - LWRM Plans
- At the October 1, 2024, LWCB meeting Bayfield, Calumet, and Portage counties will be presenting five-year LWRM plan reviews.
- The most recent meeting of the LWCB Advisory Committee on Research was on September 3, 2024.
Conservation Engineering
- We are excited to announce that the Conservation Engineering Section is welcoming two new Environmental Specialists. The first position is a project position through an agreement with NRCS. Sarah Hovis, who is currently working in Brown County, starts in this position on September 9. She will work primarily in the northwest and northeast areas. The other position will serve the southeast area. Jonathon Lisowe, who currently works in Calumet County, plans to start in this position on September 23.
- The State of Wisconsin has announced a Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant program. The program was created to provide grants for the purpose of identifying vulnerabilities, identifying options to improve flood resiliency, and restoring hydrology in order to reduce flood risk and damages in flood-prone communities. As a reminder, ATCP 50 now has Hydrologic Restoration as cost-shareable practice. Wisconsin Emergency Management will be hosting an informational meeting on the grant opportunity on September 4 from 1-2 p.m. Additional details and contact information can be found at the following two links (Fact Sheet and Webinars). Link to the Microsoft Teams meeting is here (Meeting ID: 276 704 259 516; Passcode: Po2Hr3).
DATCP Drainage Program
- DATCP is in the process of updating the Drainage Program website. In an effort to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information, DATCP is requesting that all counties with active drainage districts provide contact information for each drainage board member. Please send the following information to Barton T. Chapman, P.E., Drainage Program Manager, at Barton.Chapman@Wisconsin.gov.
- Name, title (i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, Member, Attorney, etc.), address, phone number, email address, and year of appointment
- The Wisconsin Association of Drainage Boards (WADB) will be holding their annual meeting in October. Meeting logistics have not been finalized. DATCP will provide this information once the meeting has been scheduled.
- All activities within drainage districts are managed and administered by a County Drainage Board. Contact information can be found on the Drainage Program website here or by contacting Barton T. Chapman, Drainage Program Manager, at Barton.Chapman@Wisconsin.gov.
Agricultural Impact Statements (AIS) Program
- The AIS program published AIS 4574 for the Paris RICE 138-kV Generation Tie-in Line in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.
- You can find more information about the AIS program at agimpact.wi.gov. You can also contact DATCPAgImpactStatements@wi.gov with questions regarding any active AIS statement or the AIS program.
Farmland Preservation Program (FP) and Agricultural Enterprise Areas (AEA)
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- Any new farmland preservation agreement applications must be turned in by November 15, 2024 to be guaranteed to be processed for tax year 2024. FP Staff will continue to process all applications submitted after that date, but we cannot guarantee that it will be processed and eligible for tax year 2024. The application can be found at the following webpage: Farmland Preservation Agreement Application. Completed application packets can be sent to datcpworkinglands@wisconsin.gov.
- The 2024 Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA) petition cycle closed August 2, 2024. Committee recommendations will be shared to the petitioners following that meeting. For information about the petition process, including application materials, visit the Petitioning for AEA Designation webpage. Please contact Wednesday Coye at wednesday.coye@wisconsin.gov with any questions you have about the AEA program.
- The DATCP Home Farmland Preservation Tax Credits webpage has been updated with additional information to help landowners and tax preparers choose the correct tax schedule when filing for an FP tax credit. If you receive any questions from landowners or tax preparers regarding questions related to tax credit claims or tax credit denials, please contact Wednesday Coye at wednesday.coye@wisconsin.gov. Landowners who have received a denial letter have a limited amount of time to file an appeal with Department of Revenue; timely action is critical.
- The Farmland Preservation Program Soil and Water Conservation Frequently Asked Questions document has been updated to reflect changes made to the program from 2023 Act 42 and changes made to soil and water conservation compliance in ATCP 50. The new FAQ can be accessed at Farmland Preservation: Conservation Compliance Factsheets and Guidance.
- 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.
- NOTE: Please make sure you are only reporting changes for TY 2023. If you are using a third-party contractor, please be aware of the limitations of your data reporting.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
CREP FFY2024 Enrollment Deadlines Under SU61
- Reminder that FSA will continue to accept new CREP enrollment offers as they come in up to September 30, 2024. We encourage LCDs to talk with landowners about CREP and direct them to contact their local FSA as soon as possible. Listed below are the upcoming deadlines for the remainder of this federal fiscal year (Sign up 61).
- 9/30/2024 - Deadline for COC or CED to approve FSA CRP/CREP contracts (CRP-1’s). End of current Farm Bill extension authorizing CRP/CREP.
- 11/8/2024 – Deadline to submit completed CREP State/County agreement to DATCP in order to ensure payment by 12/31/2024 for 2024 tax year.
Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program
The 2025 application period for Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants is now open. The Request for Proposals and the Application Form can be found on our webpage: Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants. Applications will be due by 5 p.m. on September 13, 2024. Please reach out to Dani Heisler at dani.heisler@wisconsin.gov if you have questions about the application.
Soil Health Program
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- 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. Modules 1-3 establish a common language of soil health in Wisconsin agriculture. Module 4 focuses on applying soil health in Wisconsin cropping systems. The curriculum incorporates 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. For questions regarding this training or the soil health program contact Randy Zogbaum at randalll.zogbaum@wisconsin.gov.
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Upcoming Soil Health Trainings
- Conservation Finance Ag Educator Training: The Soil Health Nexus, UW-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Wisconsin Land + Water, and other multistate extension partners are hosting a regional training for agriculture educators focusing on conservation finance at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station September 16-17, 2024. This training is two days and includes a classroom focused day at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station on Monday, September 16 and a field day with tours of the US Dairy Forage Research Farm and Schoepp Farms on Tuesday, September 17. Attendees can register for just September 16 or for both days. For those attending on September 17, a bus is available for transport.
Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP)
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TENTATIVE PLANS: Cycle 3 of the NOPP grants will be opening mid-October. All research plans must be pre-approved by Monica Schauer, the UW research director for NOPP. Email your ideas to her at mschauer2@wisc.edu for approval by December 1. The full application being due January 31, 2025. |
Cover Crop Insurance Rebate Program
Application closed until December 2024. To qualify, cover crops must be planted in the fall of 2024 on fields to be cropped in spring of 2025. The acres cannot receive cover crop funding support during this same time. Please retain your FSA-578 for the application process.
Legislation Updates
The 2023-2024 Legislative Session ended in mid-March.
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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 Drive
PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708
https://www.datcp.wi.gov
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