PollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlan

PracticeActivity Code(146) (No.)

1. Definition

A pollinatorhabitat enhancement plan is asite-specificplandeveloped fora client that addresses theimprovement, restoration, enhancement, or expansion of flower-rich habitat that supportsnative and/ormanaged pollinators.

Thepollinatorhabitat enhancement planwill:

  1. Meet NRCSqualitycriteria plant condition,wildlife (pollinators).
  2. Complywith federal, state, tribal, and local laws, regulations, and permit requirements.
  3. Meet theclient’s objectives.

2. PollinatorHabitat Enhancement Plan Technical Criteria

Thissectionestablishesthe minimumcriteriato beaddressedin thedevelopmentofPollinator

HabitatEnhancementPlans.

  1. GeneralCriteria: APollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlanshallbedeveloped bycertifiedTechnicalService Providers(TSPs). In accordancewith Section1240(A), theEnvironmentalQuality Incentive Program(EQIP)programprovidesfundingsupportthrough contractswith eligibleproducers to obtainservicesofcertifiedTSPsfordevelopment ofPollinatorHabitatEnhancementPlans. ThespecificTSP criteriarequired forPollinator HabitatEnhancementPlan development is locatedon theTSP registry(TechReg)websiteat:

B. Background and siteinformation

  • Landownerinformation– name, address, operation, size
  • Location and plan map ofparcel

C. IdentifyClient Objectives such as:

  1. Improvepollination serviceprovided bywild (unmanaged)bees by:
  1. Increasing floral diversityandensuringcontinuous and diversebloom,
  2. Increasingundisturbed habitat/ground(includingthe creation of alkaliorotherground-nestingbeebeds),
  3. Increasingnestingopportunities fortunnel-nesting bees, and
  4. Providingpollinator refugia.
  1. Improvepollination service provided by managed bees by:
    a. Increasing floral diversity and ensuring continuous and diverse bloom,
    b. Providing readily accessible clean water
  2. Increasediversityandavailabilityofbutterflyhost plants.
  3. Increase abundanceofbeneficial insects importantforpest management.
  4. Improve cost efficiency(e.g.removal ofmarginalcrop land from production and/orimprovement ofproducequalityfromenhanced pollination).
  5. Maintain orimprovewildlifehabitat.
  6. Beautifythelandscape.
  7. Providepollinatorpopulations with refuge from pesticides.
  8. Changeor adjust pesticideuseto reducehazardsforpollinator populations.

D. Identify/Document ExistingConditions

1. Createtheconservation plan map includingfield boundaries, streams, surface waters, wetlands, fences,and land uses.

2. Acquireasoils map andappropriatesoil descriptions fortheland useand resource concerns.

3. Identifythenumberof acres available.

4. Use an appropriatehabitat assessment, evaluation, orHabitat SuitabilityIndex model and (whenavailable)theEcological SiteDescription to definethe existingconditions forwildlife.

5. Document the existingmanagement practices andactivities on croppedand non-cropped portions oftheproperty.

E. Document the DesiredFutureConditions/Goals

1. Develop the plant speciescomposition plan that will benefit adiversepollinator community(i.e., at least 12 species offloweringplants, threeofwhicharein bloom at anyone timeduring the early, mid, and late periods of the growing season.
Note: ifthe plantingis designed to support adjacent insect-pollinated agriculture, then:

  1. Minimizebloom competition with insect-pollinated crops, and
  2. Takecaretoavoid plants that mayserveas crop pest ordiseasehosts.

2. Design for the minimal weedcompetition, but theinclusion, where appropriate, of beneficial“weeds”(e.g.,milkweed as Monarch butterflyhost plants).

3. Where appropriate, identify areas ofundisturbed pollinatorhabitat e.g.,

  1. No till areasappropriate forground-nesting bees
  2. Overgrown bunchgrasses forbumblebeenest sites
  3. Host plants forbutterflies
  4. Treecavities, standingdead trees,exfoliatingbark(e.g., in riparian or adjacent land) forwood-nestingbees

4. Document the following:

  1. The estimated dates of first floweringfor each ofthepollinator-friendlyforageplant species.
  2. Identify the expected pollinatorsand time-frame(daterange)of visits.
  3. Expected ground-nestingandwood-nestingbeeactivity, if appropriate.
  4. Ifprovidingcrop pollination services, record the crops to be pollinated.

5. MonitoringPlan - Identifyspecificdates and datato be recorded.

6. OperationMaintenanceactivities forthe planned practices.

7. Identify adequateclean watersource(s) forhoneybees

F. PollinatorHabitat Enhancement Planning Documentation

1. Practice plan map –scale, north arrow, planned and existingboundaries, fields, land use, appropriatemap symbols,and, where available,the identification of ecological sites byfield.

2. Soils map – legend, appropriateinterpretations, and, whereavailable,the ecological sitedescriptions

3. ResourceConcerns addressed bytheplanned practices.

4. Contingencyplans forharsh winter conditions, drought, fire, flooding,and other extraordinaryevents

5. Conservation Practice Plans and Specifications (Implementation Requirements) for the planned practices – these may be found in the respective state’s Electronic Field Office Technical Guide . Where an Implementation Requirements document is not available an MSWord document may be used to record the needed plans and specifications as shown in the respective Conservation Practice Standard.

Typical Conservation Practices for Pollinators may include:

Code / Practice Name
327 / Conservation Cover
340 / CoverCrop
342 / Critical Area Planting
386 / Field Border
390 / Riparian Herbaceous Cover
391 / Riparian Forest Buffer
393 / Filter Strip
422 / Hedgerow Planting
645 / Upland WildlifeHabitat Management

G. DeliverablesfortheClient– a hardcopy of theplanthatincludes:

  1. Coverpage– name, address, phoneofclientandTSP;TotalAcresof thePlan, signatureblocks fortheTSP, producer,andasignatureblockfor theNRCS acceptance.
  2. Soilsmap and appropriate soildescriptions
  3. Resourceassessment resultsfor pollinators
  4. Conservation Practice Standard site specific Plans and Specification – can be documented in the respective Conservation Practice Implementation Requirement or in a MsWord document covering the items outline in the Conservation Practice Standard “Plans and Specifications”.

H. DeliverablesforNRCSFieldOffice:

  1. CompleteHardcopyand Electroniccopyof theclient’splan(MsWord copy) and other applicable digital support documents.
  2. DigitalConservation PlanMap withfields, features, and structuralpractices located.
  3. DigitalSoilsMap.

NRCS

August 2016

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