Idaho Bulletin 120-8-6

July 14, 2008

SUBJECT:  ADS – Administrative Services - Use of Electronic FOTG, Manuals, and Handbooks

TO:   All Employees, NRCS, Idaho

Purpose:  To provide guidance to Field and Area Offices on the disposition of hardcopy Manuals, Handbooks, and the Field Office Technical Guide

Expiration Date:  September 30, 2008

Filing Instructions: No filing is required as Idaho State Bulletins are available electronically and can be accessed at http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/intranet/bulletins.html.

As Field Office Quality Assurance Reviews are conducted, numerous questions arise from employees related to the use and disposition of hardcopy NRCS manuals, handbooks, and the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). 

Most, if not all, manuals and handbooks are now available in electronic format by accessing the Electronic Directives System web site at http://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/.

The electronic FOTG is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/.

Effective immediately, Field and Area offices are not required to maintain hard copy manuals, handbooks, and the FOTG.  Hard copies of the manuals, handbooks, and the FOTG should be archived in the event that you discover information that is not available electronically. Hard copies may be kept and maintained at the discretion of the District Conservationist, but all copies must be kept current.

Due to lack of electronic posting of Idaho State handbook and manual amendments and supplements, Field Offices will need to maintain a separate binder for filing hardcopy Idaho State amendments and supplements associated with each manual and handbook.  The exception to this is the General Manual, where all state amendments are available electronically and posted on the Idaho NRCS web site.  A hard copy General Manual will not need to be kept and maintained at the Field and Area office level.

the Food Security Act and contained in Section III are not available electronically and need to be maintained in hard copy format.  A hardcopy of the Frozen HEL lists for each Idaho County should be kept and archived even though these are now available in electronic format in Section II.  Any supporting documentation related to the development and revision of HEL lists should also be kept in hard copy.  Old Range Site descriptions should be kept in hard copy in Section II until Ecological Site Descriptions are finalized and available electronically.

If questions arise related to the guidance provided in this bulletin please contact Mark Weatherstone, Assistant State Conservationist (Technical Services) at 208-378-5720 or Mark.Weatherstone@id.usda.gov.

/s/
JEFF BURWELL
STATE CONSERVATIONIST
 

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