Virginia Department of Conservation and RecreationAn official website of the Commonwealth of Virginia Here's how you knowAn official websiteHere's how you know
Department of Conservation and Recreation
This section is here to help certified agriculture and urban planners find references, documents, tables and other information useful in developing plans. The link to download NutMan 3.0 software is below. Additionally information on; verification, biosecurity, plan review, and much more are also linked below.
Hunter Landis - email: hunter.landis@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-929-6334
Nutrient Management Program Manager.
Question Topics: All inquiries relating to nutrient management not listed below.
Stephanie Dawley – email: stephanie.dawley@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-382-3911
Nutrient Management Training and Certification Coordinator.
Question topics: All inquiries about agriculture nutrient management plan development and review, agriculture trainings, review sessions and the agriculture exam.
Seth Mullins – email: seth.mullins@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-517-0726
Question Topics: Plan writing and approval for permitted and non-permitted animal operations, general crop plans, manure sampling and testing, sending manure samples to Clemson lab.
Nick Moody – email: nicholas.moody@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-305-6026
Question topics: Plans for land application of biosolids, general crop plan writing questions
Jay Marshall – email: jay.marshall@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 540-219-0794
Question topics: Support for questions using NutMan 3.0, writing plans for poultry operations and poultry litter operation transfer plans.
Susan Jones – email: susan.jones@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-824-1573
Question topics: Steps to becoming a certified nutrient management planner, applications for nutrient management certification exam, registration for nutrient management training schools (Ag and Turf & Landscape), completing and submitting activity reports, and tracking continuing education credits.
Pamela Capps – email: vanmplnr@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-586-0471
Question topics: Steps to participate in the Direct Pay program, all correspondence for Direct Pay through the email address: vanmplnr@dcr.virginia.gov, submission of consent forms for quotes, and payments for plan writing and verification of plans.
Gonzalo Ortiz – email: gonzalo.ortiz@dcr.virginia.gov; cell: 804-217-2010
Question topics: All inquiries about urban lands nutrient management plans, golf course plans, state lands nutrient management plan development and review, Turf & Landscape trainings, review sessions and the T&L exam.
The Certified Crop Advisor program is not associated with the Virginia Nutrient Management Program; however, many Virginia planners are also Certified Crop Advisors. This contact at the Madison, Wisconsin home office is listed for your convenience.
Penny Magana, Certification Representative American Society of Agronomy, Office 866-359-9161, pmagana@sciencessocieties.org
Section 4VAC50-85-140.A.2.f of the Nutrient Management Training and Certification Regulations states, "Representative soil analysis results for fields shall be determined by using standard soil sampling and analysis methods according to Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3, Chemical Methods, 1996 utilizing the Mehlich I extraction procedure for phosphorus or other methods and laboratories approved by the department and correlated to Mehlich I and utilizing correlation procedures contained in Virginia Nutrient Management Standards and Criteria, revised June 2014."
DCR maintains this list of labs that meet regulatory requirements. The list is provided for users' convenience; presence on the list does not imply endorsement by DCR. Planners using other labs may have labs added to this list by contacting DCR's nutrient management staff, who will evaluate the lab for approval.
The Nutrient Management Planning portion of the Conservation Application Suite is available for VA Certified Nutrient Management Planners to use. This Steps for Module Access outlines the steps needed to be taken to gain access to the Module. Below are pdfs and videos to help in using the new plan writing platform.
Virginia Nutrient Management Verification form
Virginia Enhanced Nutrient Management BMPs form
This document describes how to ensure a safe and hygienic visit to farms with animal operations in order to prevent the spread of infectious material and agents.
Download the NutMan 3.0 installation files, released on Jan. 8, 2013. It has "Special Conditions" documents for VPA and VPDES-permitted animal operations.
The installation file has been compressed. Click on the link above and save the file locally to install the program.
The download needs to be run as Administrator or you will receive a “Start Up Error” on most current computers. To avoid this, find the nutman.exe file, right click it and select Run as Administrator.
Getting Started Writing Plans
If you are new to writing plans, only occasionally write plans or have struggled with initial farm visits to gather the information needed to write a plan, Nutrient Management Plan Writing can help. It includes a general description of the components of a nutrient management plan and several forms to use to ensure that you obtain the information needed to write a plan. The information gathered through these forms should supply everything needed for the NutMan3.0 software used to complete data entry for writing a plan.
If you plan to use the Phosphorus Index (P-Index) as a tool to manage nutrient applications, you'll need some information that's not covered by the forms. In the NutMan software, the window for entering P-Index information is under the Farm Edit Window > Fields > P-Index tab.
The specific information NutMan needs to calculate the P-Index includes distance to stream or riparian buffer width, annual soil loss using RUSLE II, any fields in continuous no-till, and any conservation practices associated with row crop-small grain production or pasture management.
New Manure Sample Forms
DCR will pay for the processing of two manure samples per client. Those needing more than two tests should contact the Clemson University lab to arrange for payment of the additional samples. Samples must be sent to the Agricultural Service Laboratory at Clemson. Visit the lab's website, where you'll find useful information about the collection and handling of manure samples, as well as the fillable form you'll need to fill out for the DCR-paid samples. Be sure to completely fill in the form.
The documents listed below were developed to address specific issues identified by planners to address those issues consistently. he documents are given to planners when they become certified and when they attend the Nutrient Management Agriculture Plan Writing schools. DCR posts the documents here, too, for the convenience of planners.
Turf and Landscape Nutrient Management Plan Verification form - online
Download the Turf and Landscape Nutrient Management Plan Verification form.
Presentations from DCR Continuing Education meetings
Handouts from DCR Continuing Education meetings, Standards and Criteria July 2014, July 11-17, 2014
These spreadsheets can help those writing nutrient management plans for turf and landscaped areas. The sheets are “templates.” As a certified planner, you are responsible for ensuring that the information is accurate and complies with the Virginia nutrient management training and certification regulations. When you open the spreadsheet, you'll see tabs at the bottom of the screen. Here are explanations for the tabs.
Cover Sheet – Fill in this sheet first. Information from it will automatically fill in fields on other sheets, including the Cover Page.
Narrative – This is a blank page into which you write the narrative for the particular client. See Urban Nutrient Management Handbook page 13-5.
Maps – This is a blank sheet in which maps can be inserted into the plan.
Worksheet – This contains detailed recommendations for each management area developed. See Urban Nutrient Management Handbook page 13-7.
Soil Test Summary – If you use an approved lab other than Virginia Tech, fill in that lab's result and convert that value to a Virginia Tech Fertility Rating, found in the Nutrient Management Standards and Criteria, page 39. Lab conversion information found in S&C pages 41-42.
Reference Materials and Notes – This sheet is where you may provide additional guidance to clients on the specific needs of certain management areas. You can also include on this sheet, Extension publications that further support the implementation of the nutrient management recommendations.
Record-Keeping – This sheet is for the client’s benefit. If the plan is written for “State-Owned Lands,” it must be completed to verify the implementation of that plan.
Click here to get hydrologic unit codes. The interface allows users to search for and download data for their particular area - it is no longer necessary for users to download an entire county map.
