Integrated Pest Management Conservation Activity Plans
In 2009 the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) piloted a new program to increase conservation activities on farms. The program provides financial assistance to farmers who hire certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs) to write Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs). There are 12 types of CAPs including Integrated Pest Management (IPM). NRCS State Conservationists choose each year which CAPs will be offered in their state; see right-hand navigation bar to request IPM CAPs be offered in your state.

IPM CAPs represent a key opportunity to address natural resource concerns from pest management activities. For example, a 2006 study by the US Geological Survey found:

• 94% of fish samples, 94% of surface water samples and 33% of ground water samples were contaminated with pesticides, and
• 10% of stream samples and 1% of well samples exceeded a human health threshold for pesticide residues.

IPM planning can help protect ground and surface water resources by identifying on-farm concerns and opportunities to minimize risk through crop rotation, pesticide selection and timing, application technology and other IPM strategies.

To write an IPM CAP, TSPs and farmers work together to identify site-specific resource concerns on the entire farm such as pesticide-run-off risk to a nearby water body, high drift potential due to sprayer type or nozzle configuration, inefficient water use and more. The TSP documents these concerns and improvement strategies in an IPM CAP which the grower then uses to implement the conservation practices over time. Eligible farmers can obtain up to 75% of the cost of an IPM CAP from NRCS, or up to 90% cost-share for new, minority or financially restricted growers.

The National IPM CAPs Working Group is funded by:

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