CREP Conservation Plan Writers Achieving Level 2 Certification

Bullit Farris

Jerry Starkey

Tashina Kirk

Jill Ashbrener

Trampas Tripp

Several of OCC’s Water Quality conservation plan writers for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program have achieved or are in process for certification as Level 2 Conservation Plan Writers. The certification program is offered and certified by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Bullit Farris, Jerry Starkey and Tashina Kirk have completed certification including the pesticide and nutrient management qualifications. Jill Ashbrener and Trampas Tripp have completed all but one component to receive certification.

NRCS established the program to certify district conservationist, soil conservationist, range conservationist, G7-level conservation technicians and others with conservation planning as a duty in their job descriptions. In addition, nutrient management and pest management are required for the district conservationist, soil conservationist range management specialists, grazing land specialists, tribal resource conservationists, and biologists who have conservation planning as a primary duty in their position description.

Levels 1 and 2 are each self-paced course to be completed over the span of a year. For Level 1, Part I (online) must be completed in the first six months of the 12-month period; Parts II and III (field application) must be completed in the last six months of the 12-month period. Parts II and III are provided by either a state-offered course or by state specialists and/or resource specialists through on-the-job field training sessions.

For Level 2, applicants develop three or more conservation plans meeting the Resource Management System (RMS) level of criteria on a Conservation Management Unit (CMU) reviewed and approved within 12 months of Level 1 certification. Reviews are conducted by a Level 3 certified conservation planner. The Level 3 reviewer must directly observe the individual seeking certification and the client in either the planning phase or at plan delivery on at least one of these plans.

"It is a great accomplishment for OCC employees, who had not previously been employed and trained by NRCS, to achieve this level of certification as conservation plan writers,” said Gina Levesque, OCC/WQ CREP coordinator. "As the workload continues to increase while the NRCS workforce continually decreases, it is especially valuable for OCC and conservation district employees to continually improve and upgrade their natural resource conservation and management skills," she said.