EQIP Program in Jones 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).

Jones County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objective of Jones County Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Local Work Group (LWG) is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Jones County for EQIP 2007, the LWG has identified Water Quality and Plant Health as the major resource concerns.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

County Base Fund

In Jones County for EQIP the local workgroup has identified the following eligible practices for cost share: Pasture and Range Planting, Wells, Water Storage Facilities, Pipelines, Ponds, Fencing, Terraces, and Waterways.

Cost Share Rates

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginner Farmer or Rancher - 50 percent
All other Producers - 50 percent

Cost share will be practice based according to average cost.
All cost share practices must be maintained for their expected life span.
All practices must meet or exceed the requirements of the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide.
No partial payments will be paid. Invoices are required for all completed work.

Ranking Criteria:

Applications will be ranked using the national ranking tool and points will be awarded according to how your application addresses the National, State, and Local issues along with the cost efficiency of the of the practice needed to solve the resource concern.

Application will be ranked according to amount of points from highest to lowest until funds are exhausted. Ranking ties will be broken by using ProTracts Random Number.

Ranking will be by predominance of planned practices.

High Priority

100 Points – Does the predominance of planned cost share practices address water quality resource concern?

Practices that address water quality include: Terrace/Waterway systems and Pasture Planting.

75 Points – Does the predominance of planned cost share practices address plant health resource concern?

Practices that address plant health include: Water Development, Range Seeding, and Cross Fencing.

Applications for which a conservation plan has been developed for the entire operating unit or the producer has agreed to have a plan developed in FY 2007 will receive an additional 10 points.

Priority None -
All other practices - 0 points