What is a Technical Standard?
A technical standard is a document that specifies the following minimum criteria for a practice or system of practices:
- Planning
- Performance Expectations
- Design Parameters
- Operation and Maintenance
Standards are based on current research, field experience and the best available technology. Technical standards are voluntary unless directly linked to mandatory federal, state or local conservation programs.
Why Use Technical Standards?
- Minimizes practice failures
- Protect our natural resources
soil conservation
water pollution control - Limit risks to
technical staff/agencies (liability)
taxpayers (wasted grant funds)
landowners (liability/regulations/property damage) - Provide Fairness to Landowners
How does SOC fit in?
The Standards Oversight Council (SOC) acts as the coordinating body for those agencies that write and hold custodianship of the land and water conservation technical standards. The NRCS has traditionally been the agency responsible for writing and housing the conservation technical standards, and still retains custodianship of a majority of the standards. Through the coordinating efforts of the SOC, other stakeholders have been brought into the process.
SOC assists the NRCS develop agriculturally related standards, and the Department of Natural Resources develop standard for urban practices. Both types of standards have benefited from SOC's ability to create work teams comprised of a wide spectrum of knowledgeable individuals from throughout the state.
The SOC does not write or approve technical standards, set cost share policies, or develop regulations. SOC's primary duties center around coordinating the technical standards process to ensure uniformity, quality and accountability. For more background information go to About SOC.
Technical Standard Format (DOWNLOAD 34 kB DOC)
This file is a detailed description of what individual sections within a technical standard aim to portray.
Companion Documents
Any document, regardless of what form it might take, that is intended to supplement the information in a technical standard. A companion document can be as simple as a spreadsheet or checklist, or as complex as planning guidance materials. For further information about companion documents see Chapter 2 of the TSPH.
Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)
What is the FOTG?
Section IV of the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG), contains the master list of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil and water conservation technical standards for Wisconsin. This list is maintained electronically (the eFOTG) by the USDA NRCS. The technical standards are arranged by alphabetical order in Section IV.
The technical standards in the FOTG primarily focus on agriculture, but with the participation of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), new areas of interest are being explored.
How To Download Standards From the eFOTG:
The link to the left takes you to the Wisconsin NRCS Technical Resources Web Page. Click on the link for the FOTG - Field Office Technical Guide. This brings up a map of Wisconsin. After selecting a county you will be able to access the standards. Technical standards are listed alphabetically in Section IV, under Conservation Practices. On the left hand side there is a search feature where you can locate standards by name or number.
Please Note: WDNR urban technical standards are no longer located in the FOTG. WDNR standard can be obtained from the WDNR web page.
