Producers and CEMA 221

CEMA 221 is the measurement of Carbon in your soil before and after you implement a conservation practice. It requires multiple steps, outlined below.

1. Identify Environmental Issues you want Resolved. The first step is to talk to your local NRCS office to decide on environmental issues you may have. Broadly speaking, these environmental issues can range anywhere from soil health, nitrogen management, to restoring disturbed lands (for Growers), Soil Health to Livestock Partnership, Grazing and Pasture emissions (for Ranchers), and Soil Health to Agroforestry, Forestry and Wildlife Habitat practices (for Foresters).
2. Apply to a Conservation Practice. The next step is to apply to a NRCS conservation program relevant to resolving to your environmental issues. You can apply to Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or Conservation Stewardship Practice (CSP), described in more detail below.
3. Accepted into NRCS Conservation Program. You will work with an NRCS staff to complete a contract that outlines how you will implement the conservation practice, and when progress will be measured.
4. Contract with a Qualified Individual. You will work with an NRCS staff and a Qualified Individual to complete a contract that outlines how and when the Qualified Individual will measure Carbon in your soil.
5. Qualified Individual Completes Soil Sampling. The Qualified Individual will take soil samples before and after you implement the conservation practice in your field.
6. You Complete Your Conservation Practice.

The purpose of CEMA 221 is to measure soil health change over time on your land. It is an opportunity to consider what conservation practices work best for you, your land, and your crops.

The purpose of CEMA 221 is to measure soil health change over time on your land. It is an opportunity to consider what conservation practices work best for you, your land, and your livestock.

The purpose of CEMA 221 is to measure soil health change over time on your land. It is an opportunity to consider what conservation practices work best for you, your land, and your silviculture practices.

The EQIP program is an online application generally due in Fall, however many offices accept applications on a rolling basis. You will work with a Technical Service Provider or NRCS Field Staff to identify possible ecological improvements that can be made to your field. In your application you will select areas of ecological improvement, as well as an option for CEMA 221. After you apply, NRCS will reach out in the new year to let you know if you have received financial support for improving ecological issues identified in your application.

Each state has it’s own due date for EQIP, so please check in with your local NRCS field staff or a local Technical Service Provider (TSP). If you are looking for a TSP that is knowledgeable about soil health and conservation, we recommend you go to our tab “How do I contact the right person” for specific instruction on how to find a TSP.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

The CSP program is an online application due in early Spring and Summer. You will work with a Technical Service Provider or NRCS Field Staff to identify possible ecological improvements that can be made to your field. In your application you will select areas of ecological improvement, as well as an option for CEMA 221. After you apply, NRCS will reach out in the new year to let you know if you have received financial support for improving ecological issues identified in your application.

• Alaska     EQIP CSP
• Arizona    EQIP CSP
• California EQIP CSP
• Colorado EQIP CSP
• Hawaii    EQIP CSP
• Idaho     EQIP CSP
• Montana EQIP CSP
• New Mexico EQIP CSP
• Nevada   EQIP CSP
• Oregon EQIP CSP
• Utah EQIP CSP
• Washington EQIP CSP
• Wyoming EQIP CSP

Contacting the right person can be frustrating, but we are here to help!

Find a Technical Service Provider

Who are they? Technical Service Providers are consultants that help to provide planning, designing and implementation of conservation practices that meet NRCS criteria. With regards to their role in CEMA 221, they can help describe the ecological improvements you can make to your land that will result in increased soil health and overall carbon in your soils.

Why might you need to contact them? TSP’s can help you determine what type of financial application you should apply for, and the conservation practices they would advise you to implement on your land.

Directions for finding your TSP’s:

1. Navigate to the NRCS Registry of Technical Service Providers
2. Select ‘Advanced Filters’.
3. Select the State your field is in.
4. Select Practice Code ‘590’ or ‘162’.
5. Select ‘Apply Filters’ for results. If there are no TSP’s that meet either of those requirements, contact the NRCS field office.

Find a NRCS Field Staff

Who are they? NRCS provides farmers, ranchers and forest managers with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land.
Why might you need to contact them? NRCS Conservation planners help advise the best conservation practices for your land, and assist in applying for financial assistance to implement the recommended practices. If you apply and receive financial assistance from NRCS, you will work with the NRCS staff to create a contract to track the progress of the conservation practice implemented on your land.

Directions for finding your local NRCS field staff:

1. Navigate to the NRCS website, Find Your Local Service Center
2. Select your State, and your county in the drop down menu.
3. You will be given multiple options for people to contact. The Natural Resource Service Center is the best contact for anything related to CEMA 221, EQIP, or CSP.

Find a Qualified Individual

Who are they? They are a person that has committed to certification training that can be contracted to accurately and effectively collect data for a USDA-NRCS (United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resource Conservation Service) conservation evaluation monitoring activity (CEMA) 221, Carbon Stock Monitoring.
Why might you need to contact them? They will complete paperwork and the soil sampling for CEMA 221. Your local NRCS field office, yourself and the QI will meet to discuss details and the CEMA 221 contract.

Directions for finding a Qualified Individual: QI’s can be found on our website on the Verified Qualified Individuals page.

Be your own QI

Interested in becoming a Qualified Individual? Visit our Becoming a Qualified Individual webpage to learn more.

Navigate to our webpage to learn more about the Ecological Benefits to Conservation Practices and measuring Carbon.

Navigate to our webpage to learn more about the Financial Benefits to Conservation Practices and measuring Carbon.