PI.180.7.3, CPA - Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Determinations for Wind Erosion

PIA Bulletin:

  PI-180-7-3

Subject:

  CPA - Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Determinations for Wind Erosion.

Date:

  January 23, 2007

Purpose: To provide guidance for calculating HEL determinations for wind erosion.

Expiration Date: September 30, 2007

Climatic (“C”) Value maps and HEL Soils Lists have been developed for the Hawaiian Islands using pre-1990 data. These were transmitted by FOTG Notice PI-4 for inclusion in Section I of the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). This information provides the necessary data for making HEL determinations on fields subject to wind erosion, and re-determinations of previously determined Non Highly Erodible (NHEL) fields where water erosion was the only consideration.

Effective immediately, determinations for both wind and water erosion shall be made for all HEL requests received from the Farm Services Agency on Form AD-1026. In addition, USDA participants producing agricultural commodities on fields previously determined to be NHEL for water erosion shall be re-evaluated for wind erosion. This re-evaluation may occur on an “as-worked” basis during follow-up and status review activities.

All determinations shall be made following procedure in the National Food Security Act Manual, Part 511. Calculations are to be made using the HEL Worksheet for your county transmitted as Agronomy Technical Note No. 6, posted on the web at:
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/HI/pub/technotes/agronomy/Agronomy_6_HEL_Worksheets_Revised/.
A printout of the calculated results from the worksheet is to be placed in the client’s case file, and the HEL determination officially transmitted using Form NRCS-CPA-026.

In accordance with 7 CFR 12.5(a)(1), USDA participants with newly determined HEL-Wind fields shall have two years from the date of FOTG Notice PI-4 to meet compliance requirements. The exception to this rule is for fields currently under a Farm Bill conservation program contract. These fields will not be subject to compliance until such time as the contract expires or the field is removed from the contract by modification.

Contact: If you have questions on this matter, need assistance with using the HEL Worksheet, or with developing conservation systems for wind erosion, contact Larry Shinshiro at (808) 541-2600 extension 111.

 /s/ 

 LAWRENCE T. YAMAMOTO
 Director
 Pacific Islands Area

 DIST:  PIAE
           Rueben Flores, State Executive Director, Pacific Islands