R2024-111 Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with Ecosystem Services Exchange, for Services with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program

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information gathered locally by a SWCD(s),and ESE will reimburse these local partners at an agreed-to amount for specified on-site work essential to design development. The rationale for reimbursing ESE for its completed DIA 164s instead of on an hourly basis for technical services and associated travel and support costs,can be summarized as follows: • Payment by completed DIA 164("the deliverable")is the reimbursement basis that USDA NRCS has used since FY2009 through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program(EQIP)and later for RCPP when it came into existence through the 2014 Farm Bill. If NRCS were doing the producer- level contracts for this RCPP project it would be using these published practice scenarios and payment schedules to reimburse producers for their completed DIA 164,not tracking technical services by the hour. • This reimbursement method is significantly more straightforward and does not require the tracking and reporting of hours. It saves all involved administrative time--that is,do the deliverable(DIA 164)correctly and in accordance with NRCS requirements and get reimbursed a designated dollar amount consistently across the nation. The method is transparent, supported by NRCS's posted documentation of its cost estimate,and efficient. • ESE's previous assessment of the work required to complete a DIA 164 has demonstrated that is requires similar amounts of time and effort regardless of the conservation drainage practice being designed--drainage water management, saturated buffer, or denitrifying bioreactor. • ESE has successfully and efficiently used and continues to use this approach in multiple partnership projects in the following states: o Minnesota with USDA NRCS—one completed project and a new project under implementation involving USDA NRCS funding. o Ohio with Ohio State University—two projects under implementation, one with Ohio EPA/U.S. EPA funding, and another project with Ohio Water Development Authority funding. o Delaware with ShoreRiver(nonprofit)and USDA NRCS—a new project under implementation. • NRCS already has evaluated, estimated,and published the average cost of a DIA 164 and this amount is revisited on a federal fiscal year basis to ensure it remains current with component costs.