Answer:

Across the United States, there are areas that are designated as protected. These areas can be multiple types and include parks, wetlands, state & government land etc. These areas combined, create the Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US). Some users might receive a warning message when completing the “Fields and Practice Changes” module. When you either select, draw, or import a field boundary that overlaps with a marked protected area, you see a warning message. Due to constantly changing agreements and or land designation, there are areas where agricultural practices are allowed but might be marked as a protected area. When the field overlaps one of these areas, users can utilize the map option to show protected areas. This map overlay will show the protected area’s boundaries and can be used to manually adjust the field when needed. If there are any overlaps that remain when the fields are marked as done and submitted, there will be a validation reviewal process done on the producer’s account to ensure those field overlaps are either valid or adjusted.