EQIP Program in Nacogdoches 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).

Nacogdoches County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objective of the Nacogdoches County EQIP Local Work Group (LWG) is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county with major emphasis on plant health.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Nacogdoches County for 2007 the LWG has identified Plant Health as the major resource concern. This resource concern is planned to be addressed by providing program assistance and technical assistance management on the improvement of pastureland and forestland. Conservation practices eligible for program assistance are grass planting and legume overseeding on existing pastures, nutrient management for forage establishment, weed control in pastureland with dew berry vines, johnsongrass and McCartney Rose targeted in existing pastures, critical area shaping, cross-fencing, and tree planting.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All 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 multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the cost share percentage.

Pasture Planting (512) – Units
Nutrient Management (590)
Application rates based on current soil analysis.
Weed Control(595) – Grass Establishment
Weed Control Incentive – Existing Pastures
Critical Eroding Area Treatment (342)
Average cost based on degree and extent of erosion:
Critical Area Planting (342) - Units = Acres
Vegetation Establishment
Includes seedbed preparation, planting, nutrients, and weed control.
Reforestation, Units
Site Preparation (490):
Mechanical site preparation
Ripping
Roller chopping
Mulching
Strip mulching
Controlled burning
Mowing
Chemical site preparation
Banding
Tree Planting (612) - Units = Acres
Pine and Hardwood
Planting seedlings:
Hand Planting
Machine Planting Openland
Machine Planting Wildland
Fencing (382)

Ranking Criteria:

Local Issue 1
Does your farm have greater than 50% coverage of weeds in existing pastures?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 2
Do you want to improve forage productivity with the establishment of pasture on areas with less than 50% base species?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 3
Do you want to improve forest productivity by planting trees?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 4
Does your farm have less than 25%-50% coverage of weeds in existing pasture?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 5
Do you have problems with active erosion on your farm that will be addressed through this EQIP contract?
Yes ______ No ______

Local Issue 6
Do you want to improve forage productivity with the establishment of legumes on fields with a current base species present?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 7
Do you want to construct cross fencing for the purpose distribution of rotational grazing and/or protecting sensitive areas from grazing?
Yes ______ No _______

Local Issue 8
Do you have or are you willing to develop a Conservation Plan on your operation?
Yes ______ No _______

Total Points ______________

Program Requirements and Practice considerations

Pasture Planting cost share is only eligible on fields with <50 percent desirable forage and/or ground cover. Only perennial grasses eligible for cost shares. Nutrient management and Pest management will be included with pasture planting. A current soils test will be required for nutrient management.

Tree Planting – Hardwoods and pine.

Program assistance for treating Johnson grass, berry vines and McCartney Rose.

Livestock grazing deferment required during period clover is reseeding.

Fencing – Boundary fences are not eligible. Fences will meet NRCS specifications. Electric fences not eligible.

Practices not listed above are not eligible for EQIP Cost Shares