Alabama Bulletin No. AL180-7-3 

Date:  June 25, 2007

Subject:  CPA - Conservation Planning in Grazing Lands

Purpose:  To provide instruction on the use of C-Graz software.

Expiration Date:  September 30, 2007.

The Prescribed Grazing (528) standard requires planners to develop a Prescribed Grazing Plan (PGP) for all fields and pastures incorporating any grazing for the operating unit or portion of operating unit being addressed. The PGP is to include clearly stated goals and objectives, a resource inventory, a forage inventory, a forage-animal balance estimation that will insure that forage produced or otherwise provided meets the demand of the livestock of concern. Further the grazing plan is developed to identify periods of grazing, rest and other needed treatment of grazing lands. The PGP will provide contingency alternatives for the producers to consider in cases of extreme drought or wet weather or other situations. Monitoring is also required to assess whether grazing strategies are meeting the objectives.

The software tool, C-Graz, is now available for use by all NRCS field office employees. Alabama employees have been introduced to this tool during the last few months and net-conference training has been provided as well.

In Alabama, conservation planners for NRCS related activities in grazing lands will utilize the C-Graz software to meet the Prescribed Grazing (528) standard. Electronic database and grazing plan documents will be stored in the following folder: S:\Service_Center\NRCS\C-Graz Grazing Plans. Copies of the grazing plan will be provided to the client. An example grazing plan will be provided to all field office employees as an example.

For further guidance or questions contact Eddie Jolley, Conservation Agronomist, at 334-887-4564, radio link, 1*1038*1015.

/s/

WILLIAM B. HUGHES
State Resource Conservationist
 

Dist: E
 

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