STATUS OF PROGRAM

CURRENT ACTIVITIES: The Great Plains Conservation Program, authorized by Public Law 96-263, provides assistance, under long-term contracts, to land users in designated counties of the 10 Great Plains States. It is designed to provide needed protection and improvement of soil, water, plant, and wildlife resources of the unique Plains area, which is plagued with recurring drought and wind erosion problems. Selection of suitable land uses and installation of complete conservation treatment and management systems on farms and ranches in the area help improve and stabilize the individual enterprise and consequently the local economy, and contributes to total environmental improvement through reduction of wind and water erosion, abatement of agriculture related pollution and water conservation measures.

PROGRAM ASSIGNMENTS

The Soil Conservation Service has responsiblity for administration of the Great Plains Conservation Program. State and county program committees participate in program development and coordination of activities. The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service certifies that cost-share payments are not duplicates of payments made under programs administered by it and searches the indebtedness register to determine whether cost-share payments should be setoff against amounts due the Federal Government.

PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Technical services of soil and range conservationists, engineers, and other agricultural specialists are provided to help install sound conservation programs adapted to each farm or ranch. These services include:

This includes:

(a) Cost-share programming and contract administration. technical assistance for processing applications for program participation; development of costs; determining cost-share obligations; preparing contracts; and contract administration to ensure that contract provisions are met. Contracts are based on conservation plans of operations which outline resource management systems by land use.

(b) Technical assistance to help install planned conservation practices. Farmers and ranchers contract to complete their plan of conservation operations as scheduled. Assistance in practice installation is provided when needed for site selection, topographic surveys, detailed designs, practice layout, and completion. Technical assistance is also furnished to help cooperators perform required noncost-shared management features such as planned grazing systems, irrigation water management, and crop residue management on cultivated land.

SCS installation services are committed for contracted practices each year of the contract. Technical assistance is made available to help install practices scheduled for installation by local staffs at each field office. In 1980, 332 staff-years were used for technical services. Technical time averages about .7 staff-year per eligible county.

The following table shows actual funds obligated under the Great Plains Conservation Program in 1980 and estimates for 1981 and 1982 on the basis of available funds:

Cost-share payments normally vary from 50 to 80 percent of the average costs incurred by program participants for installation of eligible conservation practices. Financial assistance enables cooperators to install conservation practices in the proper sequence as scheduled in their contracts.

Determination of a county's eligibility for participation in the program is based on conservation needs and interests of local people. The physical factors for consideration include susceptibility of the land to serious soil erosion, and the need for changes in land use, cropping systems, and grassland management. The responsibility for determining local interest in the program rests with the State Program Committee.

As of September 30, 1980, 469 counties were designated for participation in the Great Plains Conservation Program. In December 1980, an additional 49 counties were designated for participation in the program, bringing the total number of designated counties to 518 in FY 1981. At the end of FY 80, the number of designated counties, status of active contracts, cost-sharing payments, the distribution of actual obligations and staff-years by State were:

1/ Includes management, program, and technical guidance provided
through headquarters and Technical Service Centers as follows:

Farms and ranches under contract in FY 80 average 2,610 acres.

During

FY 80, the average obligation per contract was $11,202. Through
September 30, 1980, cumulative amounts of $268,968,816 and $231,758,810 for
cost-share contracts have been obligated and outlaid, respectively,
under the Great Plains Conservation Program. A total of 110,434,282 acres
have been included in cost-share contracts.

CONSERVATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Thirty-three soil and water conservation practices are eligible for
cost-sharing under the Great Plains Conservation Program. The amount of
cost-shared practices applied and cost-shares paid in FY 80 and cumulative
at the end of FY 80 were:

Wind erosion reports were submitted from 516 counties in which wind erosion was prevalent during the 1979-80 season.

Major contributing factors to wind erosion this season include: (1) low levels of protective residue, (2) excessive tillage, (3) topsoil loosened by freezing and thawing so unprotected areas could blow, (4) some areas were not seeded to cover crops due to early drought, (5) strong winds removed snow cover, (6) some areas lack adequate soil moisture, and (7) some wheat crops blew out due to inadequate stand and others were grazed out and then plowed up.

In addition to direct damages, adverse social and environmental effects of wind erosion include: (1) fences covered by drifting sand, (2) sand filled road ditches, (3) hazardous driving conditions, (4) damage to car paint and windshields, (5) accumulation of sand and dust in homes, and (6) increase in respiratory ailments. The 516 counties reported 5,134,163 acres damaged compared to 2,874,385 acres reported by 515 counties for the same period a year ago, an increase of 2,259,778 acres. Of the total land reported damaged, 95 percent was cropland (4,897,593 acres), 4 percent rangeland (186,243 acres), and 1 percent other land (50,327 acres). Of the acres of land damaged, the Northern Plains States reported 2,030,725 acres or 40 percent, and the Southern Plains States reported 3,103,438 acres or 60 percent. The greatest area damaged was in Texas (1,924,693 acres), or 37 percent of the total, and the least was in Kansas (10,160 acres) or 2 percent of the total for this period.

Land reported in condition to blow totaled 11,332,913 acres, compared to 7,592,738 acres for the same period a year ago. Of the land reported in condition to blow, 66 percent was in the Northern Great Plains States, and 34 percent was in the Southern Great Plains States.