EQIP Program in Hunt 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 resource concerns identified by the Local Work Group (LWG).

Hunt County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Hunt 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 Hunt County:

Objective:

The objectives of the Hunt County Local Work Group are to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. Some of the major resource concerns are erosion on cropland and grazing lands, water for livestock, distribution of livestock, and brush encroachment.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

The Local Work Group has identified Erosion-Sedimentation and Plant Health-Forage Quality and Quantity as the highest priorities of concern in Hunt County.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Producer - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All other Applicants - 50 percent

The following High Priority practices, as recommended by the LWG, will be eligible for cost share using County Based Funds.

• Pasture and Hayland Planting 512
  
• Range Planting 550
  
• Pest Management 595
  
• Nutrient Management 590
  
• Critical Area Planting 342
  
• Diversion 362
  
• Pond 378
  
• Brush Management 314
  
• Fence 382
  
• Grassed Waterway 412
  
• Field Borders 386
  
• Filter Strip 393
  
• Terrace 600
• Grade Stabilization Structure 410

The Average Cost for the establishment of vegetation for Pasture and Hayland Planting and Range Planting includes the cost of seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, seeding or sprigging operation, and chemical or mechanical weed control for grass establishment.

The Average Cost for the establishment of vegetation for Pasture and Hayland Planting in Conjunction with Brush Management and Range Planting in Conjunction with Brush Management includes the cost of mechanical brush management, seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, seeding or sprigging operation, and chemical or mechanical weed control for grass establishment.

Nutrient Management 590
Fertilizer as specified by Soil Test No Lime Needed
Fertilizer as specified by Soil Test Lime Needed

Critical Area Planting 342
The Average Cost for Critical Area Planting includes the cost of shaping, seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, seeding or sprigging operation, and chemical or mechanical weed control for grass establishment.

Diversion 362
Diversions will be planned only when needed to protect Critical Area Planting.

Fence 382
4 Wire Standard
Fences constructed in cropland and outside boundary fences will not be considered for cost share. The producer must provide water in each field before fence will be certified for payment. Fences will be constructed only to distribute grazing on established grass or grass being established.

Grassed Waterway 412
The Average Cost for Grassed Waterway includes the cost of shaping, seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, seeding or sprigging operation, and chemical or mechanical weed control for grass establishment.

Terrace 600
Cost share is available for construction of new terrace systems in cropland fields only.
 
Filter Strip 393

Field Border 386
The Average Cost for the establishment of vegetation for Filter Strip and Field Border includes the cost of seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, seeding or sprigging operation, and chemical or mechanical weed control for grass establishment.

Brush Management 314
Brush Management is intended to be mechanical treatment by dozing, raking, and piling of woody species which have invaded abandoned cropland in recent years making normal seedbed preparation for grass planting impossible. Cost share for brush management is available only when carried out in conjunction with Pasture Planting 512 or Range Planting 550. Cost share for brush management is not available for removal of stands of large mature trees.

Pest Management 595 
Chemical or Mechanical Weed Control and Nutrient Management 590 are eligible for cost share only as a part of the establishment cost of Pasture and Hayland Planting, Range Planting, and Critical Area Planting.

Grade Stabilization Structure 410 – Cost share will be for structure components required by the NRCS engineer’s design . Vegetation of embankments and spillways, although required, will not be cost shared.

Reimbursement for all practices will be the appropriate percentage of the established average cost .

Ranking Criteria:

• High priority applications are those that do not contain a request for a Grade Stabilization Structure. Low priority applications are those that contain a request for a grade stabilization structure. Only high priority applications will be ranked until approval for ranking low priority applications is granted by NRCS.
  
• Cropland is considered to be land that was plowed and planted to a crop in 2006.
  
• Abandoned Cropland is considered to be land that was cropped at some time but not plowed and planted to an annual crop in 2006. Abandoned Cropland must be capable of being plowed using normal farming methods of seedbed preparation. Included may be some low quality grassland with perennial non-woody cover of less than 51 percent. Existing plants include annual grasses and weeds and undesirable perennial grasses and weeds.
  
• Abandoned Cropland with an infestation of Cedar, Locust, Elm, and associated species must be capable of being plowed using normal farming methods of seedbed preparation after brush has been removed.

100 Points – Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the establishment of native or improved perennial grasses on Cropland?

85 Points – Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the establishment of native or improved perennial grasses on Abandoned Cropland or Low Quality Pasture?

70 Points – Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the construction of Grassed Waterways and/or Terraces?

55 Points – Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the construction or establishment of facilitating practices (Ponds, Fences, or Critical Area Planting) on grazing land.

40 Points- Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the removal of brush in conjunction with planting native or improved perennial grasses on Abandoned Cropland?

25 Points – Will the predominance of the cost share in the application result in the construction or establishment of facilitating practices (Filter Strips and Field Borders) on cropland?

10 Points – As of August 1, 2006, did you have a conservation plan on file with NRCS?

5 Points – Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP funds result in the construction of a Grade Stabilization Structure?

Applications will be ranked using the national ranking tool and points will be awarded according to how your application addresses National, State, and Local issues along with the cost efficiency of the practices needed to solve the resource concerns. Applications will be ranked from the highest to the lowest score until all allocated funds have been exhausted or until there are not enough funds available to fund the next application with the highest score. In case of a tie, a tracking code randomly generated by the computer software program, Protracts, will be used to break the tied scores. The highest tracking code number will be funded first. Applicants not funded will have a choice to defer or cancel their applications.

Practices not on the practice list are not eligible for cost share.