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Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning

Last Modified: 08/11/2006

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP’s) are conservation plans that are unique to livestock and poultry operations.  These plans document the practices and strategies adopted by the land owner or operator to address the natural resource concerns related to soil erosion, water quality, utilization of manure, and disposal of organic by-products.

The development of a CNMP begins with a comprehensive resource inventory of the current site conditions. Management options, which may include structural alternatives, are developed to address the resource concerns identified during the inventory process.

The NRCS National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH), Part 600.5, and Part 600.6--Exhibit 15, define the minimum criteria for developing a CNMP.

Resources for Developing a CNMP

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft Excel.

Document Description PDF DOC XLS
CNMP Statement of Work Describes the minimum requirements for deliverables associated with planning a CNMP. Adobe Acrobat document    
CNMP Template A recommended format for plan development and organization of the information that the CNMP should contain.  This template describes the type of information to include in the CNMP, and can be modified as necessary to address specific situations. (119 KB)   Microsoft Word document  
CNMP Checklist A summary of resource issues and supporting documentation that may be needed when developing a CNMP. (143 KB) Adobe Acrobat document    
Inventory Needed for Developing a CNMP A complete guide for items needed when developing a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan based on NRCS standards (Word 2000, 2002)   Microsoft Word document  
MD-RES-001 Resource Inventory for Conservation Planning Field Evaluation Worksheet
These worksheets are designed to assist the conservation planner to evaluate and document existing site conditions and resource concerns. (119 KB)		   Microsoft Word document  
  MD-RES-001 Instructions- Instructions for completing these worksheets. (61 KB) Adobe Acrobat document    
MD-CPA-052 Environmental Evaluation Checklist
These worksheets are designed to assist the conservation planner to evaluate and document existing site conditions and resource concerns. (119 KB)		   Microsoft Word document  
Waste Utilization Balance Sheet This is an Excel workbook that can be used by the CNMP planner to balance the volume of waste produced with the volume to be applied. (497 KB)     Microsoft Excel workbook
  Waste Utilization Balance Sheet Example - This contains a sample completed balance sheet. (80 KB)     Microsoft Excel workbook
NPPH, Part 600.5 Comprehensive policy and procedures for development of a CNMP (850 KB) Adobe Acrobat document    

AFOPro - Comprehensive Nutrient Management Software, sponsored by NRCS

AFOPro - AFOPro™ is a standalone comprehensive nutrient management planning tool with optional connections to GIS (ArcMap© and ArcView©) and the NRCS Animal Waste Management (v 2.0.2 or higher) engineering software. This application allows the user to plan manure and commercial fertilizer allocation decisions in compliance with the NRCS 590 Nutrient Managment Maryland Conservation Practice Standard, which requires the documentation of form, source, timing, method and placement of nutrients. The design of the application is open, transparent and flexible which enables it to be adapted to specific state crop removals, nutrient risk ratings and nitrogen accounting requirements. Additionally, the application uses the University of Maryland fertility recommendations and a Maryland specific CNMP template.

Document Description DOC
AFOPro - Maryland Instructions and User' Guide Step-by-step instructions for using AFOPro software for developing a CNMP. This guide contains screen shots for ease in understanding program features and functions Microsoft Word document

CNMP Watch - is the complete Web source for Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning (CNMP) information. It is designed to get you started and assist you through the process of developing and writing of CNMPs. CNMP Watch is a project of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation (NASDA). The project is funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Additional Resources

Animal Waste Management
  • Animal Waste Management Software (AWM) - AWM is a planning/design tool for animal feeding operations that can be used to estimate the production of manure, bedding, process water and determine the size of storage/treatment facilities. The procedures and calculations used in AWM are based on the USDA-NRCS Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook.
  • AWM 2.1.0 User's Guide - Step-by-step instructions for using AWM software for estimating manure storage needs and calculating manure generation. This guide contains screen shots for ease in understanding program features and functions.
Conservation Planning

Contact

Tim Pilkowski
Conservation Agronomist
Email: tim.pilkowski@md.usda.gov
Phone: 443-482-2962

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