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Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning

Last Modified: 11/05/2009

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

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Handbook
National Instruction

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. PDF    
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. (DOC; 182 KB)   DOT  
CNMP Checklist A summary of resource issues and supporting documentation that may be needed when developing a CNMP. (PDF; 29 KB) PDF    
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) (DOC; 524 KB)   DOC  
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. (DOC; 305 KB)		   DOC  
  MD-RES-001 Instructions- Instructions for completing these worksheets. (PDF; 61 KB) PDF    
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. (PDF; 42 KB) (DOC; 119 KB)		 PDF DOC  
9 Steps of Planning The nine steps of conservation planning are used to develop a CNMP, so the end product meets the short- and long-term goals of the producer. All applicable local, Tribal, State, and Federal water quality goals or regulations are followed, including evaluation and documentation of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. (XLS; 81 KB)     XLS
Worksheets Poultry Waste Storage Structure Sizing      

MMP - Manure Management Planner

Manure Management Planner (MMP) is a Windows-based computer program developed at Purdue University that's used to create manure management plans for crop and animal feeding operations. The user enters information about the operation's fields, crops, storage, animals, and application equipment. MMP helps the user allocate manure (where, when and how much) on a monthly basis for the length of the plan (1-10 years). This allocation process helps determine if the current operation has sufficient crop acreage, seasonal land availability, manure storage capacity, and application equipment to manage the manure produced in an environmentally responsible manner. MMP is also useful for identifying changes that may be needed for a non-sustainable operation to become sustainable, and determine what changes may be needed to keep an operation sustainable if the operation expands.

Getting Started with MMP - This guide describes how to use Manure Management Planner (MMP) to develop a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan.

Additional Resources

MDE/EPA Regulations for Animal Feeding Operations
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

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).

Contact

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

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