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Resource Concerns for Conservation Planning Process

Following is a list of the 47 resource concerns that NRCS utilizes during the conservation planning
process.

Category - Soil

  1. Sheet and rill erosion
  2. Wind erosion
  3. Ephemeral gully erosion
  4. Classic gully erosion
  5. Bank erosion from streams, shorelines, or water conveyance channels
  6. Subsidence
  7. Compaction
  8. Organic matter depletion
  9. Concentration of salts or other chemicals
  10. Soil organism habitat loss or degradation
  11. Aggregate instability

Category  - Water

  1. Ponding and flooding
  2. Seasonal high‐water table
  3. Seeps
  4. Drifted snow
  5. Surface water depletion
  6. Groundwater depletion
  7. Naturally available moisture use
  8. Inefficient irrigation water use
  9. Nutrients transported to surface water
  10. Nutrients transported to groundwater
  11. Pesticides transported to surface water
  12. Pesticides transported to groundwater
  13. Pathogens and chemicals from manure, biosolids, or compost applications transported to surface water
  14. Pathogens and chemicals from manure, biosolids, or compost applications transported to groundwater
  15. Salts transported to surface water
  16. Salts transported to groundwater
  17. Petroleum, heavy metals, and other pollutants transported to surface water
  18. Petroleum, heavy metals, and other pollutants transported to groundwater
  19. Sediment transported to surface water
  20. Elevated water temperature

Category - Air

  1. Emissions of particulate matter (PM) and PM precursors
  2. Emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs)
  3. Emissions of ozone precursors
  4. Objectionable odors
  5. Emissions of airborne reactive nitrogen

Category - Plants

  1. Plant productivity and health
  2. Plant structure and composition
  3. Plant pest pressure
  4. Wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation

Category - Animals

  1. Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates
  2. Aquatic habitat for fish and other organisms
  3. Feed and forage imbalance
  4. Inadequate livestock shelter
  5. Inadequate livestock water quantity, quality and distribution

Category - Energy

  1. Energy efficiency of equipment and facilities
  2. Energy efficiency of farming/ranching practices and field operations

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