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EQIP Program in Motley 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).

Motley County Office Information
Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Motley 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 Motley County:

Specific State Concern	State Resource Concern
AFO-CAFO -Poultry	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Swine	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO-Beef	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Dairy	Water Quality/Air Quality
Salt Cedar	Invasive Species
Rolling Plains - Grassland Bird - Bobwhite Quail	Wildlife
Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher	All

Objective:

The Motley County EQIP Local Work Group identified, as an objective, the need to promote the use of the resource base in a sustainable manner with emphasis on grazing lands plant health. The emphasis will include the conversion of marginal, erosive cropland to grassland thus providing additional grazing lands. A secondary beneficiary, wildlife and land managed as wildlife land will be a primary part of the objective. Off site and down stream benefits are a direct result of the objectives being met with enduring benefits both off site and on site.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

1 Grazing Land Plant Health Conversion of cropland to grassland.
1 Grazing Land Plant Health Brush Encroachment and Grazing distribution

Priority for Funding:

Grazing Land - Plant Health - Conversion of cropland to grass
Applicable Practices: Range seeding or pasture planting on existing cropland (agricultural land producing an annual crop for at least 3 of the last 5 years).

Grazing Land - Plant Health - Brush Encroachment
Applicable Practices: Mechanical brush control (chaining, power grubbing) raking*, range seeding, pasture planting; Chemical brush control (aerial), Chemical brush control (IPT), livestock water wells, water storage facilities, livestock water pipelines, cross fence.

*Associated with mechanical brush control only.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates
Limited Resource Producer - 90 percent
Beginning Farmer / Rancher - 70 percent
All Others - 50 percent

Eligible Practices
Range seeding conversion of cropland to grass and following brush management.
Pasture Planting conversion of cropland to grass and following brush management.
Mechanical Brush Control including power grubbing and chaining
Mechanical Brush Control associated practices of raking, range seeding, and pasture planting.
Chemical Brush Control Aerial application
Chemical Brush Control Individual Plant Treatment
Livestock Water Livestock water well, water storage facilities, and livestock water pipelines
Cross Fence
All other practices listed in the Field Office Technical Guide – review priority for funding for all other practices.

Ranking Criteria:

1 Plant Health Conversion of Cropland to Grazing Land -

Range of points 290 to 320

Ranking is based on total tons of soil erosion reduced calculated by using water erosion and wind erosion formulas. Points will be awarded based on the combined savings of wind and water erosion. Points will only be awarded where the acres involved are converting cropland to permanent grass. Calculations will be based on a before rate being the worst case scenario and the after rate will be based on the expected result of the practice applied. Points range from less than or equal to 10 tons per acre at 20 points to 60 or greater tons per acre equaling 50 points. Conversion from cropland land that is currently being used to produce an annual crop to grassland automatically provides bonus points of 300.

1 Plant Health Brush Encroachment

Range of points 25 to 100

Brush Control:

Pattern Brush Control

It is considered that brush control performed in a manner that leaves some brush is more beneficial to wildlife than solid block control. Agreeing to leave some brush in a manner that meets NRCS standard and specification will afford the addition of bonus points. Bonus points equal 35.

1 Plant Health Grazing Distribution

Range of Points 25 to 75

Cross Fence Ranking is based on the number pastures resulting from the installation of fence. Cross Fence points can range from 25 points to 75 points.

Fence: Installation of fence(s) for grazing distribution.

Livestock Water points will be based on the need for additional water. The area served by the new water must equal 10 percent or more of the total pasture to be eligible for points. Points will be awarded as follows, based on distance from the closest existing permanent water:

Greater than 1 mile-- 75 points

Greater than ¾ mile to 1 mile-- 50 points

Greater than ½ mile to ¾ mile-- 25 points

Replace existing non usable trough—1 points

Screening Rules

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.
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 July 1, 2007.
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. All priority levels are eligible for EQIP.