EQIP Program in Montague 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).

Montague County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objective of the Montague County EQIP local workgroup is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. Major emphasis is being placed on improving the plant community resources within the county. Establishing permanent grass, brush management, cross-fencing and livestock watering facilities will be utilized to address this objective. There is also a need to improve water quality by reducing sedimentation coming from areas of severe erosion and entering our streams and lakes.

County EQIP Resource Concerns:

Several years of below normal rainfall have resulted in deteriorated grasslands, resulting in a stronger need for brush management and grass planting. The Montague County LWG reviewed resource concerns voiced by the program development group and determined the condition of the overall plant community to be the top priority concern. Due to the lack of adequate protective cover there is also reduced water quality. Grade stabilization structures, underground outlets, and diversions will be utilized to address this secondary concern.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers or Ranchers - 50 percent
All Other Producers - 50 percent

Cost-share will be based on the average cost for the practice unless indicated otherwise. The following practices are the only ones eligible for cost-share assistance in the 2007 EQIP program for Montague County.

Grass Planting (512, 559)
These grass plantings include - Seedbed preparation, seed or sprigs, and seeding or sprigging operation.

Nutrient Management (590)
Fertilizer (NPK)/ lime as required by current soils test.

Pest Management (595)
Mechanical or Chemical Application

Brush Management (314)
Individual plant treatment or aerial spraying of mesquite
Oak and associated species apply Tebuthiuron at 2# per acre.
Mechanical grubbing or tree dozing to include root raking or stacking and piling.

Mechanical brush control resulting in greater than 25 percent soil disturbance will require reseeding. Stacking and piling or root raking will only be cost-shared in conjunction with applications for mechanical brush control. All brush management will require 10 percent or greater canopy for cost-share consideration.

Fence (382)
Minimum 4 strand barbed wire or woven wire interior fences if required for grazing management
 
Pipelines (516)- 1¼” PVC or smaller

Waterwells (642) to include drilling, casing, gravel packing and concrete.
Ponds (378) components to include earthwork and PVC pipe

Livestock watering facilities will be eligible in the 2007 EQIP where a reliable source of water is needed in a permanent grass pasture. Eligible practices will be pipelines, water wells and ponds. Excavated (pit) ponds and embankment type will be limited to 3000 cubic yards per pond with no greater than 12” Schedule 40 PVC pipe. Water well depth for cost share will be limited to the first zone producing a minimum of 3 gallons per minute which will be considered adequate for livestock water.

Diversion (362)

Underground Outlet (620)

Grade Stablization Structure (410)
 
Components to include earthwork and barrel (either PVC or CMP) and required sand, gravel and concrete.

Ranking Criteria:

These evaluation criteria will be used for all 2007 EQIP applications. Applications will be screened to identify those containing eligible cost-share practices that are considered high priority practices. Those applications containing practices that are not eligible for cost-share will be grouped into low priority. Only those applications with eligible high priority cost-share practices will be ranked in 2007. Multiple applications per tract and farm are allowed. Aerial applications will be limited to 400 acres per application. Mechanical treatment will be limited to 200 acres per application.

Grassland re-vegetation will be considered for ranking if less than 15 percent desirable grasses are present and a suitable seedbed can be prepared at time of planting using conventional farm equipment.

Nutrient Management and Pest Management will not be considered in the ranking process, but will be cost-shared if required for grass establishment.
100 points Will the planned treatment result in a better plant community by reducing invasive brush species or establishing a high quality permanent vegetative cover?
60 points Will the health and vigor of the plant community be improved by better distribution of grazing through cross fencing or installing livestock watering facilities (pond, pipelines, waterwell)?

20 points Will requested practices (grade stabilization structure, diversion, underground outlet) address water quality concerns by treating critical erosion problems?
Points for items 1-3 are not cumulative.

10 points Did you have a conservation plan on file with the NRCS as of October 1, 2006?

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.