EQIP Program in La Salle 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).

La Salle County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the La Salle 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 La Salle County:

Objective:

The objective is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

The following resource concerns were identified in La Salle County for 2007:

Water Quantity
Water Quality
Plant Health
Soil Erosion
Wildlife

Priority for Funding:

Funding of contracts will follow priority levels. High Priority Applications will be ranked and funded first. Medium Priority Applications will be ranked and funded if there are available funds remaining, and so forth for Low Priority Applications.

Applications that contain practice(s) that are a part of a higher level of land treatment plan that will address all resource concerns (SWAPA) on the entire operating unit at a Resource Management System (RMS) level will be ranked high priority.

Applications that contain practices that are a part of a progressive level of land treatment plan that will address all resource concerns (SWAPA) on a part of the operating unit at a Resource Management System (RMS) level will be ranked medium priority.

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 (SWAPA) will be ranked low priority.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers 50 percent
All others 50 percent

Multiple item contracts and management incentives will be utilized to address all resource concerns in order to strive to achieve a Total Resource Management System Level.

The amount of cost share earned will be the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the cost share rate.
Non cost-shared practices may be planned to achieve a Total Resource Management System.

Practices

The Local Work Group Identified the following practices as outlined in the Field Office Technical Guide for cost-share:

Screening Tool:

1. Are you an agricultural producer as defined in Part 515 - Environmental Quality Incentives Program Manual Subpart F - Program Eligibility? (In order to be considered an agricultural producer, there must be a minimum of $1000 or more of agricultural products produced and sold, or that normally would have been sold for two of the last five years or IRS Schedule F form showing profit or loss from farm operations.)
   
   If Yes, then go to question number 2.
   If No, then application is ineligible.
   
   
2. Is your land eligible? (A participant is not eligible to receive EQIP payments for the same practices on the same land which the participant has received cost-share payments or other benefits under any USDA program except for structural practices that have exceeded the service life and no longer function properly.)
   
   If Yes, then go to question number 3.
   If No, then application is ineligible.
   
   
   
3. If leasing, can you provide documentation that you have control of the land being offered for enrollment with the knowledge and consent of the landowner?
   
   If Yes, application is eligible.
   If No, then application is ineligible.

Ranking Criteria:

Water Quantity, Water Quality, Soil Erosion, Wildlife Resource Concerns
Environmental Quality Incentives Program - La Salle County FY 2007

Practices must be completed to NRCS standards and specifications and maintained for the service life of the practice. Well, pipeline, troughs, and storage facilities must be working and providing livestock water before cost share can be paid. Treated acres will be deferred.

High Priority – Local Issue #1
Practices included in this application are part of a higher level of land treatment plan
that will address all resource concerns (SWAPA) at a Resource Management
System Level on the entire operating unit.  100 points________

Medium Priority – Local Issue # 7
Practices included in this application are part of a progressive level of land treatment
plan to address all resource concerns (SWAPA) at a Resource Management
System Level on a part of the operating unit.  70 points________

Low Priority – Issue # 15
Practices included in this application are not part of any land treatment plan and do not fully address all of the resource concerns (SWAPA).  30 points________