Technical Soil Services – Module 2 (ii) Field Office Technical Guide And Other NRCS Guides

1. Technical Soil Services – Module 2 (ii)Field Office Technical Guide And Other NRCS Guides

2. Field Office Technical Guide And other Guides Rationale This module will serve to reinforce the importance of the involvement of Resource Soil Scientists in reviewing sections in the FOTG and other NRCS Guides with soil information to maintain current data and insure proper application.

3. Field Office Technical Guide And other Guides Objectives • Identify appropriate NRCS General Manual section to use for Technical Guides Policy and Responsibilities • Identify Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG), and some of the other Guides sections that Soil Scientists are responsible for reviewing or maintaining • Describes roles of Soil Scientists in reviewing Conservation Practice Standards • Identify the General Manual Policy and section on what is Official Soil Survey Data

4. General Manual (GM) Part 450 - Technology401.A.1(450-GM, Amend. 9, March 2000)Part 401 – Technical GuidesSubpart A - Policy and Responsibilities

5. General Manual Field Office Technical Guides Policy 401.0 General. This Part states policy for establishing, changing and maintaining Field Office Technical Guides and supporting committees. Technical guides are primary technical references for NRCS

7. General Manual Field Office Technical Guides Responsibilities. Part 450 - Technology 401.1 Responsibilities. Delivering “Official Data” to Field Offices and others Basically states that each STC, or designated specialist (i.e. SSS) will be responsible for the development, quality, coordination, use, and maintenance of FOTG materials in his/her stateas a compilation of technical knowledge and standards. Technical guides will be maintained electronically whenever possible, for each field office and are to be localized so that they apply specifically to an identified geographic area.

8. How Soil Scientists Roles Fit within NRCS Responsibilities Verify what constitutes official soil survey information Understand what information should be in the Field Office Technical Guide Determine if information that the Soil Science Division considers certified is the same as what is considered official in the Field Office Technical Guide

9. FOTGs Sections That Soil Scientists are Responsible for Reviewing and maintaining

10. FOTGs Sections That Soil Scientists are Responsible for Reviewing and maintaining http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/

11. Field Office Technical Guide Table of Content • National Agronomy Manual • National Biology Manual • National Conservation Programs Manual • National Earthquake Information Center • National Engineering Manual • National Food Security Act Manual • National Forestry Manual • National Forestry Handbook • National Irrigation Guide • National Planning Procedures Handbook • National Range and Pasture Handbook, NRCS 1998 • National Register of Historic Places • National Resources Inventory (NRI) • National Technical References, Resources, and Tools • National Water & Climate Center Irrigation Page • National Wild & Scenic Rivers System

12. TSS Information in the National Engineering Handbook

13. National Range and Pasture HandbookChapter 3 Ecological Sites and Forage Suitability Groups Rangeland ecological sites and soil surveys Using soil surveys to identify ecological sites Soil interpretations for rangeland use in published soil surveys

14. Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook Chapter 5, Role of Soils in Waste Management

15. Conservation Practice Standards There is no national requirement for states to follow the national handbook guidelines for practice standards reviews. When the State discipline specialist has developed a proposed interim conservation practice standard draft, a Soil Scientist needs to review the interim practice standards to ensure soils is being considered. The Soil Scientist needs to review the practice standard section related to the conditions where the practice applies and the considerations section of the standard. This is the section in most cases where comments and recommendations related to the soil effects on the standard can be made.

16. Conservation Practice Standards • Practice standards need to be reviewed and maintained continuously to stay current with rapid changes in technology. • To ensure that they address multiple resources. Reviews ensure that standards: • Provide timely incorporation of new technologies, • Address multiple resource concerns, • Are consistent in format and content, • Enhance interagency cooperation with regard to development of standards. • Account for the varied conservation activities expected of NRCS in the future

17. General Manual-Part 430 Soil Survey Policy: Official Soil Survey Information

18. Official Copy General Manual, Title 430, Part 402.5(a) Official Soil Survey Information (maps, data, interpretations, and metadata) is identified in the Field Office Technical Guide. Official soil survey attribute data, and to the extent practicable all other official soil survey information (maps, interpretations, metadata), are maintained in a central, soil-source repository (soil data warehouse) and accessible electronically through the Web Soil Survey.

19. Official Data Policy “Official” soil survey information is different for different purposes • current conservation planning • Farm Bill programs - frozen 1/1/90 HEL data • CSP watershed (this, next, last year) signup • published reports • etc.

20. General Manual, Title 430 Part 402.5(e) When changes to the Official Soil survey Information are made, the old information is maintained and dated. This process will provide documentation for decisions based on soil survey information prior to the changes. Thus, each version of the Official Soil Survey Information will be maintained in the Soil Data Warehouse to the extent practicable as described in 402.5(a)

21. General Manual, Title 430 This means that the current official soil data is on the Web Soil Survey and a copy of each version of the "Official Soil Survey data" will be maintained.

22. Official Data • So, when using Customer Service Toolkit and Soil Data Viewer, how do I tell if the data is the official soil survey data? Part 401.6 (a)(1)(i) Section II of the FOTG should have a statement indicating exactly what is used as the “official” soil survey data and information and for which purpose

23. General Manual Title 450

24. General Manual Part 450 • Part 450 - Technology • 401.A.1 • (450-GM, Amend. 9, March 2000) • Part 401 - Technical Guides • Subpart A - Policy and Responsibilities • 401.0 General • 401.1 Responsibilities. • 401.2 National Technical Guide Committee (NTGC). • 401.3 Content of Technical Guides. • 401.4 Exhibit: Sample Table of Contents for FOTG Subsections. • 401.5 Exhibit: Information and Examples for FOTG Contents, Section I, General • Resource References. • 401.6 Exhibit: Information and Examples for FOTG Contents, Section II, Natural • Resources Information. • 401.7 Exhibit: Information and Examples for FOTG Section V, Conservation • Effects.

25. General Manual 430 • GM_430_402_A - Subpart A • Subpart A - Introduction 402.0 Purpose • This part of the General Manual defines the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) focuses on its structure and objectives, and the legislative authorities for the soil survey.

26. Quiz….Please answer test questions after reviewing all of the module 2 materials and send to Brad Duncan Brad.Duncan@wa.usda.gov