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West Virginia Field Office Technical Guide
WHAT IS THE FIELD OFFICE TECHNICAL GUIDE?
PURPOSE
To promote conservation of West Virginia’s natural resources in a consistent and
responsible fashion.
DEFINITION
The West Virginia Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) is the primary technical
reference for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It
contains technical information about conservation of soil, water, air, plant and
animal resources.
The technical guide use in any office is localized so that it specifically
applies to that geographic area.
The technical guide provides:
- Interpretations of resource use and potential productivity within
alternative levels of management intensity and conservation treatment.
- Technical information for achieving NRCS technical standards and land user’
objectives.
- Information for interdisciplinary planning for the conservation of soil,
water, air, plant, animal, and human resources (SWAPA).
- A basis for identifying proper Conservation Management Systems (CMS) and
components thereof.
- Criteria to evaluate the adequacy of a candidate Resource Management Systems (RMS)
to meet quality standards for resource management.
- Standards and specifications for conservation practices, including
requirements of state and local regulations.
- Information for evaluating the economic feasibility of alternative
conservation practices for RMS, Acceptable Management Systems (AMS), etc.
- Technical material for instructing and training employees.
Limitation of West Virginia Technical Guide Application
The FOTG contains information for use in technical assistance to decision makers
for resource management. The desired level of management is for non-degradation
and sustainability. The information used in resource management must reflect
specific sites and activities and conform to all local, state and federal
requirements. The final product of the technical assistance and the decision
maker’s choices will be limited by the initial breadth of consideration. The
FOTG does not provide all information needed to solve every possible problem
that may occur. Unique or complex problems may require additional effort, and
resources. All conservation planners and integrated disciplines are encouraged
to use this guide to avoid confusion for land managers and possible conflict
with Federal Law. If there is a conflict with state or local law, state or local
law prevails.
PREFACE
The Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) is a essential reference for those
individuals concerned with conservation in West Virginia. The FOTG contains
specific information dealing with the conservation use and development of
natural resources.
The FOTG is designed to be used by technically trained persons who are assisting
landowners, land managers, or responsible officials to plan, apply and maintain
appropriate conservation practices.
The FOTG is a major reference for addressing top priority resource goals defined
in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Program for Soil and Water
Conservation. These goals are:
1) Reduction of the damage caused by excessive soil erosion;
and
2) Protection of surface water and ground water from non-point
source pollutants.
Non-point agricultural and silvicultural source pollutants have been identified
such as sediment, nutrients, animal wastes, pesticides and pathogens. The FOTG
addresses these pollutants. Non-point pollution reduction concepts and
techniques represent a relatively new and rapidly developing area of technical
expertise. References, data and narratives will be updated as experience
increases and the effects of improved practices are documented. Every
practitioner is encouraged to submit new ideas and suggestions for improvements
to the FOTG and make the effort for improving water quality practical and
effective.
The FOTG contains five sections:
A system of consecutively numbered Technical Guide Notices for each section
will be used to keep the FOTG current. Notices will transmit
new materials, supplements, revisions or correction items (including pen and ink
changes). Attachments to Technical Guide Notices are to be filed according to
instructions contained in the Notices.
A Technical Guide Notice Register is filed immediately behind the PREFACE.
Record the following information for each Notice:
Notice number and date.
Section(s) affected by the change.
Brief description of action(s) required.
Page number(s) of affected material.
Date(s) of affected material.
The Technical Guide Notices may be destroyed when the instructions and
required actions are completed.
All the data and references in the FOTG are materials to help the
conservationist consider a range of alternative responses to a resource problem
and assess the effects of each. The conservationist will develop a good
understanding of nature’s relationship between resources, between cause and
effect, between action and inaction and most of all between man and his
environment.
SECTION DESCRIPTIONS
SECTION I – General Resource References
Section 1 lists references, cost data, maps, climatic data and other
information for use in understanding the field office working area or in making
decisions about resource use and conservation management systems. This
information is to be filed by subject such as Agronomy, Biology, Engineering,
etc.
SECTION II – Soil and Site Information
Section II contains information about the soil survey of the local area. It
contains soil descriptions and interpretations that can be used to make
decisions about use and management of the land. Soil characteristics that limit
or affect land use and management are identified, and soils are rated according
to limitations, capability or potential.
SECTION III – Conservation Management Systems
This section provides information for developing Resource Management Systems (RMS)
to prevent or treat problems associated with soil, water, air and related plant
and animal resources. Guidance is also provided for developing Acceptable
Management Systems (AMS) when economic, social and cultural constraints prohibit
RMS development. Conservation Management Systems (CMS) guidance documents are
developed by major land uses in each field office and placed in Section III.
Conservation Management Systems will be achieved when the quality criteria for
soil, water, air, plants and animals are met. Quality criteria represent the
level of resource protection which must be achieved in order to meet the
Conservation Management Systems requirements. All conservation planning
assistance provided to resource users will be directed toward achieving the
quality criteria established for each of the five resources and their
considerations.
SECTION IV – Practice Standards
This section is an alphabetical list of conservation practices used by the field
office, followed by practice standards. It may also include references and
documentation requirements for the individual practices.
Practice standards establish the minimum level of acceptable quality for
planning, designing, installing, operating and maintaining conservation
practices.
SECTION V– Conservation Effects
This section contains effects information used in evaluating CMS for the six
resources (soil, water, air, plants, animals, and human) and is dependent on the
conservation planning disciplines: soils, agronomy, biology, forestry,
engineering, etc., for input.
Conservation practice physical effects including site specific data with
quantified or narratively described effects for each of the six resources listed
above are behind the corresponding title. Producer experiences of resource
situations where conservation is successfully applied and instructions and
technical notes such as those for developing case studies, identifying and
documenting Acceptable Management Systems (AMS), and for following the
Conservation Effects for Decision-making (CED) procedures are in Section V.
Table of Contents
Preface
CHANGE NOTICE REGISTER
SECTION I – General Resource References
Introduction
Reference List
Cost Data
Maps
Erosion Prediction
Climate Data
Cultural Resources Information
Threatened and Endangered Species List
State/Local Laws, Ordinances, Regulations
SECTION II – Soil and Site Information
Introduction
Soil Survey DATABASE Table Reports
Soils Legends
Soil Descriptions
Soil Interpretations
SECTION III – Conservation Management Systems
Introduction
Resource Quality Criteria
Resource Management Systems
Alternative Conservation Systems
Guidance Documents
SECTION IV – Practice Standards and Specifications
Introduction
Index of Practice Standards and
Specifications
Practice Standards and Specifications
SECTION V – Conservation Effects
Introduction
Effects for Conservation Management
System
Effects for Decision-making
Procedural References
Change Notice Register
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