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 'Land & Water Monthly Newsletter' text over an image of a farm field.
October 2026
Table of Contents
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 'Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP)' text next to an image of plants.
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The RFP for the 2027-2028 application period will open on October 15, 2026. Documents are available for preview on the DATCP’s Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Grant Program webpage. If you have a project idea, reach out to the NOPP team to discuss prior to applying. More information can be found on the NOPP webpage.
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 'Soil Health' text next to an image of cows.
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Soil Health Community of Practice: DATCP will continue to offer the Soil Health Community of Practice on third Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 at 10 a.m. This meeting will be held virtually. A community of practice is a group of people who share a passion, concern, or set of problems, and who interact regularly to learn how to do things better. These groups focus on collective learning and knowledge sharing. Contact Randy Zogbaum at randalll.zogbaum@wisconsin.gov if you have any feedback to share and/or would be interested in participating.
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 'Nutrient Management Updates' text next to an image of cows.
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The 2026 Nutrient Management Regional meetings have wrapped up for the year. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us! The presentations were recorded, and the recordings and presentation slides can be found on DATCP’s Nutrient Management Regional Trainings webpage.
- An Office Hour will be hosted on October 21 from 10-11 a.m. for the 2026 Nutrient Management Survey. An email to all LCD staff will go out closer to the event with the survey and calculator, as well as the Teams invite.
- 2027 NMFE awardees are invited to attend an informational webinar on the 2027 NMFE Grant program to learn more about requirements and timelines of the grant. The webinar will be held October 27 at 10 a.m. You can register here: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/0f8d27f8-e19e-4d21-ae3e-65fc66c5fbff@f4e2d11c-fae4-453b-b6c0-2964663779aa?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog.
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NEW! – SnapPlus V3 Example Farm Practice Tool – DATCP staff have created a new example farm for users to be able to utilize to practice writing plans in SnapPlus V3. There are downloadable field boundaries, soil test results, and a narrative that guides you through the farm information. This practice tool can be found on DATCP’s Nutrient Management Trainings webpage.
- The modules utilized within the Conservation Agronomy Training program are now available to anyone to access and can be found on Wisconsin Land + Water’s website. For more information on next year's Conservation Agronomy Training Program, please visit DATCP’s Conservation Agronomy Training webpage.
- You're invited to participate in the Nutrient Management Quality Assurance and Implementation Team on November 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We’re seeking participation from a broad range of partners, including farmers, nutrient management planners, county LWCD staff, and more. We will have a group discussion-based meeting to identify QA and implementation needs. Space is limited! If you are interested, please see the participation request/interest form at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/ThnnmibqRj.
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 'Soil and Water Resources Management (SWRM) Grants' text next to an image of a farm field.
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Join the SWRM team for year-end processes, insights, and best practices brownbag webinar on October 28, 2026 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Access the Save the Date (a link to a .ics file for downloading to your calendar with Microsoft Teams Meeting Invite).
- PRACTICE SPOTLIGHT: Livestock Fencing (50.75) supports installation of fencing needed to contain or manage livestock in the protection of an erodible area. It is to be cost-shared specifically to keep livestock out of an area, not to contain animals. Prescribed grazing allows for permanent fencing (50.80(3)) that supports establishment or improvement in a managed grazing system which may include permanent fencing as part of the overall grazing plan.
- Can we cost share virtual fencing (portable GPS collars) as part of 50.80(3) permanent fencing?
- It is allowable if it is less than the cost of typical permanent physical fencing. If typical fencing is more cost-effective, collars may be cost-shared up to the amount that the typical fencing would have been. This policy requires the landowner to obtain quotes for both options, and have the county verify the allowable cost-share amount.
- The 2027 Preliminary Joint Allocation Plan has been available and the final Allocation Plan with no substantive changes is to be presented at the October 6 Land and Water Conservation Board Meeting.
- Updated policies and procedures, example reimbursement requests, June 2026 Cost-Share Contract Change Order and 2.2 Cost Share Funding Source Table contain updated content. Please make sure you are submitting and using the newest versions of these documents.
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 'Conservation Engineering' text next to an image of a red barn.
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The Conservation Engineering Section is happy to share that Sarah Hovis has accepted our offer for the Environmental Specialist position in the north area. Sarah has been with DATCP since 2024 in our project position and is excited to move into this permanent position with DATCP that will give her the opportunity to keep working with county conservation staff to implement our conservation projects.
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 'DATCP Drainage Program' text next to an image of a river.
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The Wisconsin Association of County Drainage Boards (WACDB), in cooperation with DATCP, has scheduled five educational outreach meetings – two remain. All meetings will be held from 1-4 p.m.Invitations will be sent out to all drainage boards, county zoning administrators, county treasurers, and county land conservation departments in the next couple of weeks. If you have a topic that you would like to discuss or would like to be included on the WACDB contact list, please contact Richard Gumz, WACDB Chair, richard@gumzfarmsllc.com or Nancy Christensen, WACDB Administrative Assistant, christnjc@hotmail.com. The dates and locations are as follows:
- Dodge County
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Dodge Administration Building, First Floor Auditorium
27 East Oak St., Juneau
- Annual WACDB Meeting
Monday, November 9, 2026
Portage Best Western
2701 S. CX, Portage
- Please note that Wisconsin law requires that the board file with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP); the town board or town zoning committee; the city council, plan commission, or plan committee; and the county zoning administrator, in which district territory is located, a separate report, for the preceding fiscal year, on each drainage district under the board's jurisdiction. Unless the board selects a different fiscal year and notifies DATCP of the selection, the board's fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends the following year on August 31. If you have any questions please contact Bart Chapman, State Drainage Program Manager, at barton.chapman@wisconsin.gov or (608) 216-6433.
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 'Land and Water Conservation Board - LWRM Plans' text next to an image of empty chairs around a table.
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The October 6 meeting of the LWCB will include five-year reviews from Green and Waushara counties, plan revisions from Dunn and Shawano counties, as well as presentation of the final Joint Allocation Plan.
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 'Farmland Preservation (FP) and Agricultural Enterprise Areas (AEAS)' text next to an aerial image of farm fields.
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The priority deadline to submit farmland preservation agreement applications for new or re-enrollments for tax year 2026 was October 1, 2026. Applications submitted after October 1, 2026 are not anticipated to be processed in calendar year 2026. Applications not processed in 2026 will be added to the 2027 processing queue.
- Agreement applications for next year (new, re-enroll or amendment) submitted to DATCPWorkingLands@wisconsin.gov before August 1, 2027 will be prioritized for processing before the end of calendar year 2027.
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 'Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)' text next to an image of a stream.
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County Annual Cost Reporting 2026
Counties should report their CREP administrative costs to DATCP by no later than Friday, December 4, 2026. The county contributions to administer CREP count toward Wisconsin’s overall match requirements for federal CREP funds and are important for meeting statewide CREP program requirements reported to FSA by the end of the year. Please report any in-kind contributions, including staff time spent promoting the program, completing CREP state contracts/transfers/cost-share/buyouts, or monitoring visits and reporting. The county CREP annual report form (LWR-282) is on the DATCP’s CREP website. Completed reports should be sent as a PDF via email to Brian Loeffelholz at Brian.Loeffelholz@wisconsin.gov.
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Agreement Submittal Deadline is 11/13/2026 for Payments in 2026
Friday, November 13, 2026, is the deadline for submitting completed CREP agreements (LWR-283) to DATCP enrolled by FSA for FFY2026 (sign-up 65) to ensure they make it through processing for state payments before the end of the calendar year. Agreements submitted to DATCP after that date may be processed and paid after January 1, 2027. If a landowner wants to claim their state CREP payment on 2026 taxes, it will need to be paid prior to December 31, 2026. Completed CREP agreements should be submitted via the secure CREP SFTP site following the guidance on bottom of Page 2 of the LWR-283 instructions form.
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New W-9 and New Supplier Forms need for All Payment Requests
DATCP finance is now requiring that a new W-9 and a New Supplier Form (DOA-6460) be submitted with all CREP payment requests. A blank copy of the W-9 can be found on the CREP For Counties webpage. If you need a DOA-6460 form, contact datcpcrep@wisconsin.gov.
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New CREP SFTP Site Available for Submittals
The new CREP SFTP website with multifactor authentication is now available for submittals. Each county should have received an email from DATCP with instructions for logging on using a county specific username and temporary password. Please be sure to test your counties credentials and follow the instructions provided for running a test submittal. Once DATCP receives your test submittal, we will verify that the process is finalized and available. Remember that the SFTP is the approved secure method of submitting PII (W9 and Federal information) for CREP. DO NOT SEND PII VIA EMAIL TO DATCP. For questions regarding the county SFTP account, please contact Susan Mockert at Susan.mockert@wisconsin.gov.
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 'Agricultural Impact Statements (AIS) Program' text next to an image of a road.
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 'Cover Crop Insurance Premium Rebate Program' text next to an image of plants.
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$800,000 will be available for $5 per acre premium rebates for cover crops planted in 2026 and subsequently planted with a 2027 insurable cash crop. Application available beginning December 1, 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis and will remain open until January 31, 2027, or until program funding is exhausted.
- 2025-2026 verified land units and eligible applicants will be credited by USDA-RMA on their 2026 crop insurance bill. Further program information is available at covercroprebate.wi.gov.
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 'Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program' text next to an image of a waterway.
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The 2027 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant application period has closed. The review process is underway and award decision letters will go out in November. If you have any questions, please contact Dani Heisler at dani.heisler@wisconsin.gov.
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 'Staffing Updates' text next to an image of two people shaking hands.
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Katie Woodrow joined the Bureau on September 8 as the Program and Policy Analyst. Over the course of her career, Katie has utilized her biology degree from UW-Platteville in a variety of ways. Early on, she worked in food safety and quality assurance, developing policies and procedures, leading problem-solving initiatives, and applying lean manufacturing principles.
For the last 15 years, she’s focused on program and project management, first at a non-profit leading an education program and most recently with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. At Fox-Wolf, Katie served as the Watershed Recovery Director, coordinating efforts by county land conservation departments along with agency partners, academia, and NGOs to advance the adoption of agricultural conservation in Northeast Wisconsin. In her time there, she worked to develop effective programs to support producers, bring grant funding for projects, track and report implementation progress, and engage elected officials to garner support for conservation efforts.
In her personal time, Katie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, wrangling her cats, traveling, and exploring Wisconsin's natural resources. We’re excited to have Katie join the bureau!
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