EQIP Program in Navarro 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).

Navarro County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Navarro County USDA Service Center. Applicants may also request EQIP assistance by telephone, fax, e-mail, or letter.

Kristy Oates, District Conservationist

State Resource Concerns Priority Areas that include part of Navarro County:

Objective:

The objective of the Navarro County EQIP local work group is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county with major emphasis on improving water quality in streams and water bodies.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Navarro County for 2007, the local work group has identified water quality, excessive suspended sediments and turbidity in surface water, as the primary resource concern. This concern relates to the surface water runoff where the resource problem is sedimentation into rivers, streams, lakes, and public water supply reservoirs.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates

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

Practices will be cost shared based on 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 then multiplied by the cost share percentage.

Cost sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified by the Field Office Technical Guide.

Pasture and Hay Planting (512), Range Planting (550), Brush Management (314), Critical Area Planting (342), Ponds (378), and Fence (382)

All practices are supported by the Conservation Practice Standards and Specifications in the Field Office Technical Guide and are needed to solve the identified resource problems as set forth by the Navarro County LWG.

Note: Nutrient Management 590 and Pest Management 595 are recommended for all vegetative practices but will not receive any cost share assistance. A current soil test, less than one year old, from Texas A&M Soil Testing Lab or other approved soil testing lab is recommended on all vegetative practices.

Brush Management (314) Cost share is limited to 100 acres per contract for mechanical treatment. Establishment of permanent vegetation will follow brush management if 25 percent or more of the existing grass cover is destroyed during mechanical brush management or if reseeding of the existing seed source will not provide adequate cover. If hydraulic shears are used on mesquite, the stump must be sprayed immediately using an approved herbicide mixture.

Ponds (378) Cost share is limited to 3000 cubic yards per pond. Ponds will be for livestock water and/or erosion control in fenced pastures where there is no adequate source of water. Ponds will result in better distribution of grazing. All disturbed areas will be vegetated.

Fence (382) Cost share is limited to 5,280 feet of fence per contract. Fencing is available only on grazing lands and will result in rotational grazing. Boundary fences are not eligible.

Practices not on the practice list are not eligible for cost share or incentive payments.

Ranking Criteria:

Resource Concern – Water Quality –Excessive Suspended Sediments and Turbidity

Points will only be awarded in one of the following local issue areas (No. 1 thru No 6).

Local Issue No. 1
Do you need livestock water to improve water quality and sedimentation?
Yes = 100 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No. 2
Does your resource needs require a pond in addition to other eligible conservation practices?
Yes = 90 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No. 3
Do you have erosion that will require mechanical shaping and vegetation?
Yes = 85 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No. 4
Do you have invasive brush species negatively affecting your natural resources?
Yes = 75 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No. 5
Do you have less than 15 percent ground cover of desirable grasses?
Yes = 35 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No. 6
Do you need cross fencing to implement a rotational grazing system?
Yes = 25 points
No = 0 points

Local Issue No 7
As of October 1, 2006 did you have a current conservation farm plan?
Yes = 10 points
No = 0 points

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. Practices not on the practice list are not eligible for cost share.