EQIP Program in Milam 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).

Milam County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objectives of the Milam County Environmental Quality Incentive Program EQIP  LWG is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. The major resource concerns for Milam County are soil erosion due to water, sedimentation due to water, and inadequate grass cover.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

Water Quality – Soil Erosion and Sedimentation – applicable on all land uses. This concern relates to surface water runoff where the resource problem is sedimentation into rivers, streams, lakes and public water supply reservoirs.

Water Quantity - Plant Health – Grassland Improvement – applicable to existing rangeland, pastureland and hayland. This concern relates to the reduction of desirable forages due to the decline in pasture or rangeland condition that adversely affects forage quality and quantity for livestock.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers or Ranchers - 50 percent
Others - 50 percent

Eligible Practices

The following practices, as agreed to by the Milam County LWG, are the only eligible practices to be awarded points. Cropland Conversion to Permanent Grass Cover, Range Seeding 550, Pasture and Hayland Planting 512, Critical Area Planting 342, Grassed Waterways 412, Critical Area Planting 342.

The following practices will have components and will have incentive payments based on the established average cost (AC) of the following practices: Grade Stabilization Structures, Ponds (erosion control only), Underground Outlets, Critical Area Planting, and Grassed Waterways.

Incentive Payments for practices and components are based on the established average cost AC of the practices. The amount of incentive payments earned will be based on the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the incentive percentage rate.

Note: Nutrient Management (590) and Pest Management (595) are recommended practices for all vegetative practices but will not receive any incentive payments under county base allocations. A current soil test, less than one year old from the Texas A&M Soil Testing Lab or other approved soil testing labs is recommended on all vegetative practices.

Note - No points will be awarded for Grade Stabilization Structures, Ponds, Underground Outlets or Water and Sediment Control Basin. However, cost-share assistance may be available due to the need based on engineering decisions related to the Critical Area Planting practice requiring a safe outlet.

Note: Nutrient Management (590) and Pest Management (595) are recommended practices for all vegetative practices but will not receive any incentive payments under county base allocations. A current soil test, less than one year old from the Texas A&M Soil Testing Lab or other approved soil testing labs is recommended on all vegetative practices.

Note: To be used for estimates only on erosion control structures
Pond (378) - 4000 cubic yards and/or 1680 Diameter Inch Feet of Pipe

Grade Stabilization Structure (410) (No.) Est. Max. 8000 cu.yd. and/or 5760 Di.Ft. pipe, Concrete- reinforced 3 cu.yd cost- share. (Steel, Materials & Installation)
No partial payments will be paid.

Ranking Criteria:

Milam County Local Resource Concerns Ranking Criteria for EQIP 2007
Applicant's Name________________________ Farm Number. _________
Application Number ______________________Tract Number __________

Resource Concern-Water Quality- Soil Erosion and Sedimentation
Water Quantity - Plant Health – Grassland Improvement

100 points - Does the predominance of the proposed treated acres in this application
address water quality concerns pertaining to soil erosion and sedimentation
though the implementation of conservation practices on cropland?

50 points - Does the predominance of the proposed treated acres address water quantity
concerns pertaining to plant health and grassland improvement though the
implementation of conservation practices on grazing lands?

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

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 lowest score until all allocated funds have been exhausted or until there is not enough funds available to fund the next application with the highest score. In the case of a tie, a tracking code randomly generated by the computer software program, Protracts, will be used to break the score ties. 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 practice list are not eligible for cost share.