EQIP Program in Harrison County

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) offers cost share assistance to agricultural producers to implement on-farm conservation practices.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) determines eligible producers for the EQIP program and determines eligible land.  Eligible producers may apply for cost share assistance on conservation practices that will address the identified resource concern identified by the Local Work Group (LWG).

Harrison County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Harrison County USDA Service Center. Applicants may also request EQIP assistance by telephone, Fax, e-mail, or letter.

State Resource Concerns Priority Areas that include part of Harrison County:

Objective:

The objective of the Harrison County EQIP Local Work Group LWG is to promote the use of conservation practices for protecting and improving natural resources throughout the county with primary emphasis on plant health.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Harrison County for 2005, the LWG has identified plant health as the major resource concern.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent.
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 50 percent
Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the actual cost of the practices not to exceed a specified maximum. The amount of cost share earned will be the number of units certified after completion, multiplied by the actual cost not to exceed a specified maximum, multiplied by the cost share percentage.

Cost Sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide

1 Pasture and Hayland Planting and 2 Tree Establishment. For cost share consideration, these practices must be needed to significantly reduce concerns associated with plant health according to NRCS specifications and guidelines. Grass planting cost share is allowed only on fields with less than 50 percent ground cover of desirable grasses.

Pasture and Hayland Planting 512 Specified Maximum - $60.00 per acre for Common Bermuda seeded, $75.00 per acre for Bahia seeded, $120.00 per acre for Coastal Bermuda by sprigs, $160.00 per acre for Improved Bermuda Hybrids by sprigs or tops.

Nutrient Management 590 Specified Maximum - $0.35 per pound of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium for establishment based on current soils analysis, and $32.00 per ton of limestone for establishment based on current soils analysis.

Pest Management 595 Specified Maximum - $10.00 per acre for establishment only.

Tree/Shrub Establishment 612 Specified Maximum - $95.00 per acre for pine seedlings and planting operation, and $195.00 per acre for hardwood seedlings and planting operation. Planting hardwoods for diversity should be a minimum of 5 acres for cost shares.

Forest Site Preparation 490 Specified Maximum - $45.00 per acre for burning, $45.00 per acres for chemical banding, $30.00 per acre for light mechanical shredding, $120.00 per acre for chemical aerial, $250.00 per acre for heavy mechanical site preparation.

Forest Stand Improvement 666 Specified Maximum - $90.00 per acre for chemical pine release.

Pond Construction 378 Specified Maximum - $1.60 per cubic yard of earthmoving. Limit cubic yards to 1500 maximum per pond.

Fence 382 Specified Maximum - $1.60 per foot of standard four strand barbed wire fence.

Incentive Payments Will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide - Nutrient Management and Pest Management. For Incentive Payments these practices must be applied to established grasses according to NRCS specifications and guidelines.

Nutrient Management 590 Flat rate incentive payment - $10.00 per year up to three years for soils with >5.5 pH, $25.00 per acre the first year for soils with <5.5 pH, $15.00 per acre the second year for soils with <5.5 pH, and $10.00 per acre the third year for soils with <5.5 pH. Current soils analysis required to determine application rates.

Pest Management 595 Flat rate incentive payment - $10.00 per acre.

Ranking Criteria:

High Priority/ Pasture and Hayland Planting - 50 points
High Priority/ Tree/Shrub Establishment - 50 points
High Priority/ Forest Stand Improvement Pine Release - 50 points
Medium Priority/ Fencing - 25 points
Medium Priority/ Nutrient Management Establishment/Incentive - 25 points
Medium Priority/ Pest Management Establishment/Incentive - 25 points
Low Priority/ Pond, Livestock Water 3000 cubic yards maximum - 10 points
Low Priority/ Forest Site Preparation - 10 points

Ranking Criteria Points awarded for the highest priority practice only.

Treatment area distance from order 2 or greater creek on USGS topography map to be determined for additional points <200 feet = 10 points, 201 to 500 feet = 8 points, 501 to 1000 feet = 5 points, and >1000 feet = 0 points.

Tree/Shrub Establishment for pine and hardwoods.
Forest Site Preparation is included with all tree planting practices as determined needed.
Pasture and Hayland Planting cost share is only allowed on fields with <50 percent ground cover of desirable grasses. Nutrient and Pest Management will be applied with pasture and hayland planting. A current soils analysis will be required for nutrient management.
Nutrient Management Incentive requires a current soils analysis.
Soil pH >5.5 Incentive $10.00 per acre up to three years.
Soil pH <5.5 Incentive $25.00 per acre first year, $15.00 per acre second year, $10.00 per acre third year.
Ponds must be offered for livestock water for better distribution of grazing only. 3000 cubic yards maximum for ponds.
Forest Stand Improvement must be suitable sites of >300 trees per acre.
Boundary and electric fences are not eligible for cost shares. Fences will meet NRCS standards.

Practices not listed above are not eligible for EQIP cost shares.

< Back to EQIP