EQIP Program in Kenedy 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).

Kenedy County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objectives of the Kleberg and Kenedy Counties EQIP LWG for Kenedy County are to promote the use of conservation practices on rangeland for improving and sustaining natural resources throughout the county. Some of the major resource concerns are brush encroachment on rangeland, lack of water distribution for livestock grazing, and deterioration of grazing lands due to past use.

Robert Schmidt, District Conservationist

County EQIP Resource Concern:

Plant Health on grazing lands was selected as the highest priority in Kenedy County for 2007. Improving or maintaining the climax plant community on grazing lands by managing brush and adequately distributing livestock drinking water in order to implement a rotational grazing system. Practices that are eligible include brush management, water well, cross-fence, livestock water pipeline, water facilities, ponds, range planting, pasture and hay planting, and prescribed grazing.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 75 percent
Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the established average cost of the practice. The amount of cost share will be the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the cost share percentage.
Cost sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide -

Brush Management Code 314-
Mechanical (Rootplow, Stacking, and Raking)

Brush Management Code 314
Mechanical (Grubbing)

Chemical

IPT Individual Plant Treatment

Pond Code 378

Fence Code 382

Pasture and Hay Planting Code 512

Pipeline Code 516

Prescribed Grazing Code 528

Watering Facility Code 614

Range Planting Code 550

Water Well Code 642

Screening and Ranking Criteria:

High Priority:
Practices designated by the Local Work Group are part of an RMS conservation plan with NRCS to address all resource concerns (SWAPA) on this operating unit and practice(s) scheduled to be applied in order to achieve proper resource management. This will be done according to Resource Quality criteria in section III of eFotg.

Medium Priority:

Practices designated by the local work group are part of a Progressive Level Conservation Plan with the NRCS on this operating unit, addressing only one or more concerns. This will be done according to Resource Quality criteria in section III of eFotg.

Low Priority:

Practices designated by the local work group are not part of any land treatment plan and Do Not address the resource concerns (SWAPA) at even a progressive level of treatment.