NRCS seeks members for new soil‑health subcommittee to refine practice guidance
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Summary
NRCS staff proposed reestablishing a Soil Health subcommittee within the State Technical Committee to guide practice adoption, payment rates and monitoring; membership recruitment opens immediately with an email deadline of Jan. 31 and a first meeting planned for March 2025.
Carlos (presenter) proposed reconstituting a Soil Health subcommittee under the state technical committee to provide technical guidance on soil‑health management systems, payment rates, monitoring (CIMA practices), and outreach. He reviewed the history of a prior subcommittee formed in 2016, the strategic rationale for bringing the group back (new practices, guidance and monitoring tools), and a proposed timeline for recruitment and initial meetings.
Key operational points:
- The state will recruit members representing the State Technical Committee, NRDs, UNL Extension/Research, NGOs, and producers. Interested participants were asked to email Colleen O'Brien by Friday, Jan. 31, 2025; meeting invitations and materials for a March 2025 kickoff would be distributed by Feb. 21 at the latest.
- Dr. Nathan Buehler is named as the co‑lead for the subcommittee and Colleen O'Brien will provide administrative support.
- Priority tasks will include defining the committee charter, reviewing payment rates and caps for soil‑health practices, providing guidance on newly created CIMA practices (management/monitoring activities), and recommending pilot outreach and field‑day activities to spread best practices and lessons learned.
Several participants asked about coordination with existing water‑quality subcommittees and about funding/backbone support; presenters said some funds and coalitions exist and that the subcommittee will coordinate with other technical groups to avoid duplication.