EQIP applications being accepted for funding

Aug. 8, 2008 - - Conservation cost share applications for the popular Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are being accepted for funding consideration in fiscal year 2009 now through November 2 at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices throughout California. Applications for EQIP are accepted year round; however, the November 2 date reflects the cut off for funding consideration during the 2009 fiscal year. Assistance can be in the form of structures and conservation “hardware” such as irrigation or manure management facilities, as well as incentive payments for proper management to achieve environmental benefits.
“We begin this fiscal year with the promise of a newly minted Farm Bill that carries a strong conservation title,” said NRCS State Conservationist Ed Burton. “All of our programs provide helpful tools for balancing agricultural productivity with natural resource protection, but EQIP is our flagship conservation program. Combined with technical assistance and conservation planning, EQIP has had a huge impact on the California landscape and I expect these benefits to continue and expand in the next year and forward into this Farm Bill.”
In fiscal year 2008 California NRCS partnered with farmers and ranchers on nearly $54 million in conservation cost share contracts, setting a record for the program in the state. The contracts covered a broad spectrum of natural resource enhancements including irrigation efficiency; nutrient and manure management on dairies; grazing land management; riparian buffers and wildlife habitat; wetland protection; and forest management. EQIP information is available by contacting a local NRCS office.