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CPA - 2008 and 2009 Variances Due to Special Conditions (Severe Weather)

 July 14, 2008

IOWA BULLETIN NO. IA180-8-4

SUBJECT:  CPA – 2008 AND 2009 VARIANCES DUE TO SPECIAL CONDITIONS
(SEVERE WEATHER)

PURPOSE.  To describe variances which may be granted to producers due to severe weather conditions experienced in spring 2008.

EXPIRATION DATE.  September 30, 2009

The following variances (AC; actively applying a conservation system with a temporary variance for special conditions) may be granted to producers as a result of the severe weather conditions experienced in Iowa this spring.  These variances may be applied on tracts selected during the 2008 or 2009 crop years.  This variance only applies to those counties that have received federal disaster declaration status.

Note: This variance may only be granted to producers who requested relief prior to carrying out their tillage operations and the request has been documented as per the National Food Security Act Manual (NFSAM) part 520.15(e).

VARIANCE 1:

Purpose:  This variance allows for limited tillage where needed in corn stalks or soybean stubble, to facilitate planting in 2009 or re-planting in 2008 to smooth areas where extensive rills have occurred.  Any tillage done for preparation of the 2009 crop should be done in the spring of 2009.  If tillage must be done in the fall of 2008, then a winter cereal cover crop will need to be established to provide for adequate cover during the spring critical erosion period.

Application:  This variance applies where the producer has been applying no-till planting methods as specified in the conservation compliance plan and on areas where permanent practices to control ephemeral gully erosion would normally not be needed.

VARIANCE 2:

Purpose:  This variance allows for deviation from the residue requirements listed for mulch tillage in all situations where additional tillage is needed for re-planting purposes or to level areas where rill erosion or ephemeral gully erosion has occurred.  

Application:  This variance applies where mulch tillage is specified in the conservation compliance plan.  The ephemeral gully erosion being repaired must not be on areas where permanent practices to control ephemeral gully erosion would normally be needed.

VARIANCE 3:

Purpose:  This variance provides a one year extension to establish meadow due to the severe spring weather conditions in 2008.

Application:  This variance applies where the conservation compliance plan specified that a field or conservation treatment unit be seeded to vegetative cover this spring.

In situations where the producer was not able to plant a crop in 2008 due to excess moisture (prevented planting) on HEL fields, the status review determination will be coded as “NN.”  The NN determination signifies that an agricultural commodity was not planted on that field or tract.  Be sure to enter into the comments box a note that states that planting was prevented due to weather.

In the case of prevented planting acres, the producer should be encouraged to plant a cover crop in order to maintain residue levels required in the plan and to help control soil erosion that could result due to future rainfall events.

Situations where variances are not applicable:

  1. Tracts where permanent practices were needed to control ephemeral gully erosion, such as waterways, critical area seeding, water and sediment control basins, or field borders, and those practices were not in place.

  2. Tracts where tillage was done on fields prior to the heavy rains and the conservation compliance plan specifies a no-till planting system.

For additional information regarding this issue, please contact John Myers, State Resource Conservationist, at 515 323-2223 or john.myers@ia.usda.gov.

/s/ Richard Sims

State Conservationist