Job Approval Authority

[Doug Thomas]

Does your State have a system that assigns Job Approval Authority to state and/or local government staff for State conservation programs, independent of the NRCS? If so, how was the system authorized, and how is it structured?

Doug Thomas, Minnesota

[Rob Hamilton]

Ohio does not have a program separate from NRCS. However, ODA engineers can assign job approval to SWCD employees using NRCS’s job approval chart.

[Vince Sitzmann]

Iowa has started to do some of this recently primarily for practices related to the nutrient reduction strategy, however I wouldn’t say they are completely “independent of NRCS” . Edge of field practices such as a bioreactor or saturated buffer that are supported with NRCS funds such as RCPP can be designed and certified by an independent engineer with a PE,and then go through a quick peer review process by the state engineer. If their is no NRCS funding the PE can sign off without the peer review. For Management practices such as cover crops and no-till we have developed a modified certification form that allows the DC to sign off on the practice even though it may not have gone through the entire NRCS 9 step planning process. This is referred to “Conservation Technical Consultation” in the NRCS Conservation Program manual. For practices such as using N inhibitor NRCS has no specs so NRCS does not sign off on this practice. Feel free to call me at 515-205-9014 if you would like more details.

[Marty Comstock]

Missouri has procedures to assign Engineering Job Approval to conservation partner employees as allowed by the NRCS National Engineering Manual (NEM) Part 501 Authorizations; but it is not done “independent of NRCS” as the employee must be under the technical supervision of NRCS. Here is the Missouri NRCS’s supplement to the NEM addressing this:

MO501.1 Scope

B. (3) Non-NRCS employees in Missouri operating under the technical supervision of an NRCS employee but who are not federal employees and who are not licensed to practice engineering in the state may be assigned job class I or II engineering approval authority for practices defined by the following standards in section IV of the Technical Guide:

(i) Diversion (362)

(ii) Grassed Waterway (412)

(iii) Irrigation Land Leveling (464)

(iv) Pipeline (516) (Except those connected to a source or supply used for human consumption)

(v) Spring Development (574)

(vi) Surface Drain Field Ditch (607)

(vii) Terrace (600)

(viii) Watering Facility (614)

(ix) Underground Outlet (620)

(x) Water and Sediment Control Basin (638)(Maximum fill height of 5 ft measured from natural ground at centerline of embankment)

(xi) Well Decommissioning (351)

Please contact me if you would like to discuss further marty.comstock@mo.usda.gov. The NEM and MO supplements can be found at https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/ by clicking on Manuals – Title 210 Engineering.

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