CRP-BOB Question and Answer 2

    2/27/04

    For additional information on CRP-BOB contact your Regional Supervisor or Area Biologist.

     

  1. Who gets what copy of the CRP-BOB claim form? Answer: One should first go to the Regional Supervisor for the initial allocation. After the CRP contract has been modified and the landowner completes the practices one should go to the landowner, one to the planner and one to the SWCD. SWCD will process the form for payment.
  1. What if a landowner has a CCRP filter strip between the edge and his general CRP field? As I understand it, CCRP is ineligible for CRP-BOB. What if the CCRP filter strip is a good mix of warm-season grasses? Answer: As long as all the habitat needs of quail are provided in a close proximity there isn’t a problem. If we feel like the benefits are not provided, we should not proceed or if the filter strip is planted in invasive grasses.
  1. What if the landowner has less than 3 years left in the CRP contract? How can this landowner apply for CRP-BOB? Answer: FSA will require CRP contracts to have at least 3 years remaining in the contract to be eligible for the mid-contract management cost share and the interseeding cost share. According to sign up 26 guidelines, the producer must treat approximately one-third of the contract acres annually over a three year period. (Year 1: 1/3, Year 2: a different 1/3, and Year 3: the remaining 1/3 that was not treated the first two years). A landowner will only have to treat the acreage once after the contract has been modified to satisfy FSA’s requirements.

    2. A producer with less than 3 years remaining can still sign up for CRP-BOB if they agree to modify their contract with NRCS to include the CRP-BOB practices and the mid-contract management practice. They must also agree to decline cost share with FSA on the mid-contract management practices. Under this scenario a landowner may qualify for CRP-BOB and they would not be required to follow the sign up 26 guidelines. However, they will still be required to complete the management practices on their own. Remember, CRP-BOB cooperators must complete the mid-contract management practice before they can receive cost share for any completed CRP-BOB practices.

  2. Can we pay a landowner who declines the mid-contract management and interseeding cost share through FSA with CRP-BOB funds? Answer: No. CRP-BOB will not pay for any mid-contract management practices or interseeding.

  1. I have a landowner interested in CRP-BOB who wants to plant shrubs on the CRP acres. Unfortunately he can not find a source of shrubs because the MDC nursery is sold out. Can he still apply for CRP-BOB this year? Answer: Normally a producer will have one year to complete all the CRP-BOB practices and the mid-contract management practice. However, for shrub plantings we will allow 18 months to complete the practice IF t he producer can not find a source of shrubs. The producer should still complete the other practices within the one year deadline.

  2. What if the landowner would like to take advantage of the managed haying and grazing? Answer: A landowner could still participate in CRP-BOB and do the managed haying and grazing just as long as they follow sign up 26 guidelines for completing the managed haying and grazing and protect the CRP-BOB practices they install. If a landowner allows the CRP-BOB practices to be destroyed then they will be responsible for paying back the cost share received through CRP-BOB. Remember, with managed haying and grazing a producer is not required to complete the mid-contract management practices but they can only hay or graze 1/3 of the acres each year or all the acres one year and rest the acreage the next two years. You can not graze or haying within 100 feet of a stream or permanent waterbody.

  3. Where should a producer drop the trees when edge feathering? Producers should be told to drop the trees parallel to the fence line or woody edge. Trees should not lie within the CRP field boundaries.

  4. Does a producer have to treat all his CRP acres with CRP-BOB practices? No, a producer could select a small portion of his acreage and treat only that area. However, a producer will have to follow sign up 26 guidelines if he accepts cost share for the mid-contract management practices – meaning he will have to burn, disk or spray approximately 1/3 of the acres each year. A cooperator only needs to treat the acreage once to meet FSAs requirements. Under CRP-BOB a producer could select one field to work with, just as long as he selects or the existing conditions address the 3 required conditions/practices: (1. the mid-contract management, 2. edge feathering or shrubs, and 3. food plots or interseeding).

  5. What guidelines should we follow for interseeding? We should follow the NRCS practice standard Conservation Cover (327) for interseeding into existing cover.