EQIP Program in Kent 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).

Kent County Office Information

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

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

Objective:

The objective of the Kent County EQIP Local Work Group is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resource base throughout the county with major emphasis on improving livestock/wildlife grazing distribution, reducing the impact of brush, and reducing excessive erosion and off site pollution.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

The Kent County Local Work Group has selected three resource concerns for the 2007 EQIP Program. The three selected concerns in declining priority are -

1. Livestock Grazing Distribution
2. Brush Encroachment


3. Soil Erosion

Priority for Funding:

Livestock Water Distribution 30 to 120 points based on the percent of grazing land with adequate before treatment water distribution. Items applicable to Livestock Water Distribution are - Wells, Pipelines, Troughs, Ponds for Livestock water, and Cross fence construction.

Brush Encroachment 36 to 100 points based on the before treatment canopy percent of the target brush specie. Items applicable to Brush Encroachment are - Individual Plant Treatment, Aerial Spraying, Tree Dozing, Root Plowing, Brush Raking, and Range Seeding and/or Pasture Planting following mechanical brush control.

Soil Erosion 26 to 97 points based on tons per year of erosion reduction. Bonus points 25 are added when marginal cropland is converted to permanent grass. Items applicable to Erosion Control are - Range Seeding or Pasture Planting on cropland, Terrace Construction, Diversion Construction, Waterway Construction, Critical Area Shaping and Seeding, Pond Construction for erosion, and Pipe Outlets.

Screening for Funding Priority - The Local Work Group shall screen all applications into three priority groups:  Group 1 - Applications that contain practice(s) that are a part of a higher level of land treatment plan that will address all resource concerns on the entire operating unit at a Resource Management System (RMS) level will be ranked high priority.  Plan must have been developed prior to October 1, 2006; Group 2 - Applications that contain practice(s) that are part of a progressive level of land treatment plan that will address all resource concerns on a part of the operating unit at a Resource Management System (RMS) level will be ranked medium priority.  Plan must be developed as a part of the application process or be developed by October 1, 2007; and Group 3 - Applications that contain practice(s) that are not a part of any land treatment plan and do not fully address all of the resource concerns will be ranked low priority.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Eligible Practices
Range Seeding, Pasture Planting, Terrace Construction, Diversion Construction, Waterway Construction, Critical Area Shaping and Seeding, Pond Construction, Pipe Outlet Construction, Chemical Brush Management, Mechanical Brush Management, Raking, Wells, Pipelines, Troughs, and Cross Fence Construction

Cost Share Rates
Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 50 percent
Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the established average cost of the practice. The amount of cost share earned will be the number of units certified after completion (not to exceed the planned units), multiplied by the average cost, multiplied by the cost share percent.

Ranking Criteria:

Livestock Grazing Distribution: Ranking point score for livestock grazing distribution is based on before treatment percent of the target area with adequate livestock water distribution. Livestock water distribution is considered adequate when water is located less than 1 mile for slopes 0-3 percent, less than ½ mile for slopes 3-5 percent, and less than ¼ mile for slopes greater than 5 percent. Points are awarded as follows; 120 points for less than or equal to 20 percent adequate water distribution, 115 points for 21-40 percent adequate water distribution, 110 points for 41-60 percent adequate water distribution, 105 points for 61-80 percent adequate water distribution, and 60 points for greater than or equal to 81 percent adequate water distribution.  Applications with only a fence that does not address adequacy of water distribution will score only 30 point.

Brush Encroachment: Ranking point score for brush encroachment is based on a weighted average of brush canopy in the target area only. Target area is only that area planned for treatment. Select the target areas for treatment, calculate average canopy in each individual target area, calculate a weighted average of the combined target areas, and score accordingly. 100 points for brush canopy 41 percent or higher, 73 points for brush canopy 31-40 percent, 55 points for brush canopy 21-30 percent, and 36 points for brush canopy 11-20 percent.

Erosion Control: Ranking points score for erosion are based on erosion calculation from the dominant soil of the target area. Target area being only that area planned for treatment. Before and after erosion rates expressed in tons per acre per year shall be used. Before and after rates shall be calculated by adding the calculated rate for WEE, and RUSLE. The before rate shall be calculated in the worst case situation. The after rate shall be calculated at the projected post treatment situation. Bonus points may be added in two possible categories, gully erosion when specific treatment is applied to reduce or eliminate gully erosion, and/or establishing cropland to permanent grass. Cropland is defined as land area that is currently being utilized for the production of an annually seeded crop. Ranking points are awarded for a combined total sheet and rill erosion annual tons per acre savings after treatment as follows; 47 points for a savings greater than or equal to 40.1 tons, 41 points for a savings of 30.1 – 40 tons, 36 points for a savings of 20.1 – 30 tons, 32 points for a savings of 10.1 – 20 tons, and 26 points for a savings less than or equal to 10 tons. Bonus points are added for gully erosion annual tons per acre saved after treatment as follows; 25 points for a savings of 1000 or more tons, 15 points for a saving of 500 – 999 tons, and 10 points for a savings less than 500 tons. An additional 25 bonus points are added when cropland is converted to permanent grass and a minimum of 51 percent of the total treated area is planned for conversion to permanent grass.