§ 652.21 Certification criteria and requirements.

(a) To qualify for certification an individual must: (1) Have the required technical training, education, and experience to perform the level of technical assistance for which certification is sought; (2) Meet any applicable professional or business licensing or similar qualification standards established by State or Tribal law; (3) Demonstrate, through documentation of training or experience, familiarity with NRCS guidelines, criteria, standards, and specifications as set forth in the applicable NRCS manuals, handbooks, field office technical guides, and supplements thereto for the planning and applying of specific conservation practices and management systems for which certification is sought; and (4) Not be decertified in any State under subpart C of this part at the time of application for certification. (b) To qualify for certification an entity or public agency must be authorized to provide such services in the jurisdiction and have a certified individual providing, in accordance with this part, technical services on its behalf. (c) A technical service provider, as part of the certification by NRCS, must enter into a Certification Agreement with NRCS specifying the terms and conditions of the certification, including adherence to the requirements of this part, and acknowledging that failure to meet these requirements may result in ineligibility to receive payments from the Department, either directly or through the participant, for the technical services provided or may result in decertification. (d) NRCS will certify Technical Service Providers for a time period specified by NRCS in the Certification Agreement, not to exceed 3 years. Decertification and Renewal of Certification is administered in accordance with § 652.26. (e) NRCS may, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9701, establish and collect fees for the certification of technical service providers.