Prevention of Soil Erosion • Conservation of Water Resources • Prevention of Floods

CONSERVATION PLANS

 

What is a Conservation Plan?

 

Conservation plans are developed by agriculture producers, in conjunction with the SWCDs, to manage the natural resources on their farms or ranches. Every farm and ranch have their own unique resource concerns, and without proper management, human activity can negatively impact these resources.  A plan combines the producer’s business and personal goals with the science-based knowledge of the conservation planner to protect natural resources. And with assistance from SWCD Conservation Planners, producers select the best combination of conservation practices to meet their resource needs and management goals.

 

Farm conservation plans are highly customized. They address not only where, when and how to implement practices, but also what is needed to continue or maintain practices over time – including renovation or enhancement of existing practices. This information makes it easier for farmers to apply for funding to implement practices.

 

Restore and protect your resources:

 

  • Soil
  • Water
  • Animals
  • Plants
  • Air
  • Energy
  • Human (cultural resources)

 

The benefits of having a conservation plan:

 

  • Receive technical assistance at no cost.
  • Optimize the use of natural resources on your property and decrease soil erosion
  • Improve water use efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of farming
  • Become familiar with government regulations and receive guidance on how to prevent violations
  • Qualify for county Grading, Grubbing & Stockpiling permit exemptions
  • Comply with lease requirements for other agencies
  • Save money over the long term as your land becomes more productive
  • Rewarding to know you are improving your land for future generations

 

The Conservation Planning Process

 

The 9-Step Conservation Planning Process:

 

  • Identify problems
  • Determine Objectives
  • Inventory Resources
  • Analyze Resource Data
  • Formulate Alternatives
  • Evaluate Alternatives
  • Make Decisions
  • Implement the Plan
  • Evaluate the Plan

 

Conservation planning involves assessing a farm’s natural resource challenges and opportunities and identifying appropriate conservation practices. It is a valuable but often overlooked process that can help farmers streamline conservation efforts and integrate environmental management with agricultural production goals.

 

In the broadest sense, farm conservation planning includes many kinds of documents – from whole-farm assessments to single-practice engineering/design specifications and seeding plans. As a stand-alone activity, however, conservation planning usually means a comprehensive resource assessment and implementation plan. For livestock operations, this includes specialized environmental quality assurance (EQA) assessments and comprehensive nutrient management plans. (A comprehensive nutrient management plan is a conservation system unique to an animal feeding operation.)

 

Planning documents are more than paperwork – the goal is to take action and get things done on the land. Conservation plans are flexible, working blueprints. They can be adapted or revised to meet evolving land management goals or address the changing needs of a farm undergoing a transition such as intergenerational transfer or switching to a different type of production.

 

DEVELOPING A CONSERVATION PLAN WITH YOUR SWCD

 

Any agricultural producer– from nursery operators to ranchers to farmers large and small – is eligible to apply for a conservation plan through their SWCD. The entire process of working on a conservation plan is completely voluntary.  The landowner or farm operator makes all the decisions, implements the plan, and has complete control over what is done and when (within the guidelines of the Hawai'i County permitting process).

 

Here’s how:

 

Contact the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District (KSWCD) or NRCS Kealakekua Field Office to request assistance for your property. Provide information to Field Office staff about your farm or ranch operation.

 

A Soil Conservationist Planner will contact you to set up an intake site visit. The planner(s) will assist in determining what program best suits your needs.

 

Forms may be mailed to you to fill out and then you mail back the forms to the Field Office.

 

An assigned Planner will contact you to set-up field visit(s) to start the planning process.

 

These field visit(s) are an opportunity for you to discuss your concerns, objectives, and practices you want in your plan.

 

During the review process, you can adjust the conservation plan to meet the present and future needs of your operation.

 

You will be invited to a District meeting to have your conservation plan signed by you and the SWCD Directors.  The Kona SWCD board meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday of every month.

 

Your completed conservation plan will serve as a written record of your management decisions and the conservation practices you plan to implement in your operation. The plan will include maps and documents such as conservation plan map, soils map and soils description, topographic map, aerial photo map, crop and/or livestock data, a schedule for applying conservation practices, and instructions for establishing, maintaining, and operating your conservation practices.

 

To continue your exemption from the Hawai'i County Grading Ordinance, the plan must be reviewed/updated and reapproved by the SWCD every 5 years.

 

PERMITTING PROCESS STANDARDS & POLICY

 

Activities Without a Permits / Permitting Process / Forms and Applications

 

Standards & Policy

The Hawai'i County Grading Ordinance

 

The Hawai'i County Grading Ordinance regulates all excavation, fills, grading, grubbing, and stockpiling of soil material. Grubbing is the removal or dislodging of vegetation on more than one acre of land; grading involves moving soil material by excavation or fill (including stockpiling), in excess of 100 cubic yards. Land clearing, plowing, disking, and digging are examples of grubbing or grading activities.

 

Anyone planning to carry out earth disturbing activities exceeding threshold limits cited in the ordinance must apply with the Hawai'i County Public Works Department for a grubbing or grading permit before starting such actions.

 

Agricultural producers may qualify for an exemption from Hawai'i County's permitting process if they sign up with their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to develop conservation plans for their farms or ranches. Producers agree to perform conservation practices that address earth disturbing activities occurring with their farming operations.

 

View the Hawai'i County Grading Ordinance (Chapter 10 Erosion and Sedimentation Control) on the Hawai'i County Code webpage at: http://www.Hawai'icounty.gov/lb-countycode/

 

State Polluted Runoff Control Program

 

The Kona SWCD also assists in implementing the Polluted Runoff Control (PRC) Program administered by the State of Hawai'i’s Department of Health.  The citizens of Hawai`i have the ability and responsibility to protect their waters from polluted runoff.

 

It is very important for local communities to be involved in the efforts to address polluted runoff and the conservation planning process is just one way they can become involved.

 

The PRC Program in Hawai`i has evolved over the last decade under the guidance of two federal statutes:

 

Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 319

Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), Section 6217

For more information, visit the PRC Program webpage at:

 

http://health.Hawai'i.gov/cwb/site-map/clean-water-branch-home-page/polluted-runoff-control-program