EQIP Program in Oldham 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).

Oldham County Office Information

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

Objective:

County Base
The objectives of the Oldham County Local Work Group are to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. Some of the major resource concerns are Plant Health due to excessive brush population, the need for better grazing distribution by more water development and Erosion due to water.

Ground and Surface Water Ogallala, GandSW-Ogal, for Oldham County

The objective of the Oldham County LWG is to promote more efficient methods of irrigation either by conversion of existing irrigation pivots to a more efficient system or by replacing existing irrigation conveyance with a more efficient conveyance.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

County Base
In Oldham County for 2007, the LWG has identified the following resource concerns as being the top priority for cost share assistance.
Resource Concern - Plant Health
Highest Priority. Livestock Water will be given the highest priority for funding followed by Brush Management. Other practices such as Cross Fencing are also eligible and will have a positive effect on Plant Health.
Resource Concern - Erosion
Secondary Priority. Terraces, Diversion Terraces, Grassed Waterways, Pasture Planting and Buffers will be eligible.

Ground and Surface Water-Ogallala
The priority is to increase efficiencies of existing Pivot Systems and more efficient irrigation water Conveyance. Irrigation Pivot System Conversion and Irrigation Pipeline will be eligible practices.

Priority for Funding:

Plant Health - High
Erosion - Medium
Incentives - Low

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates
Limited Resources Producers at - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers at - 50 percent
Others at - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the established average cost of the practice. The amount of cost share earned will not exceed the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the cost share percentage.
Cost sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide.

Resource Concern for Plant Health:
Brush Management 314
Livestock Well 642
Livestock Pipeline 516
Watering Facility 614
Pumping Plant for Water Control 533
Cross Fence 382

Resource Concern for Erosion:
Terrace 600
Diversion Terrace 362
Grassed Waterway 412
Pasture and Hayland Planting 512
Buffers 386 and 422A

Incentive payments will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Electronic Field Office Technical Guide. This will be a Resource Management System.

Cropland -Residue Management -329(B,C), Nutrient Management- 590, Pest Management- 595, Residue Management, Seasonal – 344, Contour Farming – 330, Conservation Crop Rotation -328, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management- (645).

Rangeland -Prescribed Grazing -528, Pest Management – 595, Upland Wildlife Habitat Management.

Ground and Surface Water - Ogallala Special Emphasis FY 2007


Cost Share Rate at 50 percent, Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers at 90 percent, Beginning Farmers and Ranchers at 50 per cent.

Irrigation Pivot System Conversion
LPIC
Irrigation Pipeline 430
Chemigation Valves 442
Irrigation Flow Meters Electronic 442
Sprinkler Irrigation System Low Pressure, In-Canopy (LPIC) 442
Micro Irrigation System Subsurface 443

Chemigation Valves and Irrigation Flow Meters can only be cost shared if they are a component of a new Pivot System Conversion – LPIC, Sprinkler Irrigation Systems, Micro Irrigation System or a new irrigation pipeline is installed within an irrigation system.

Ranking Criteria:

Oldham County Base EQIP Ranking Worksheet FY2007
County Base

All applications start with 100 points. As each practice is requested then assigned points will be deducted. At the end of the sheet all practice points will be deducted from the 100 points given. The remainder is the ranking score for the worksheet.

Plant Health Resource Concern:

Brush Management 314 Applications will be limited to 2500 acres per tract aerial application or 200 acres of mechanical treatment.
Canopy Cover for 30 and up percent at 12 points
Canopy Cover for 11 to 29 percent at 15 points
Canopy Cover for 5 to 10 percent at 20 points
Individual Plant Treatment (Chemical) – Limited to 40 acres
251 -350 Plants per acre – 21 points
Individual Plant Treatment (Mechanical) – Limited to 40 acres
Light – 50 to 150 plants per acre – 11 points
Medium – 151 to 250 plants per acre – 16 points
Heavy – 251 to 350 plants per acre – 21 points

Livestock Water Applications will be limited to one Well, one Pumping Plant, 15000 feet of Pipeline, and no more than 3 Watering Facilities per tract.
Well 642 at 3 points
Livestock Pipeline 516 at 3 points
Watering Facility 614 at 3 points
Pumping Plant 533 at 3 points

Cross Fence 382 There will be a limit of 4 wire Barbed Wire Fence and a maximum of 15,560 feet in length.
Four Wire Barbed Wire at 9 points

Erosion Resource Concern:

Terraces 600
Standard System at 25 points
Parallel System at 20 points

Diversion Terrace 362
Diversion Terraces at 24 points will be constructed to empty into a grassed waterway or other well grassed area.

Grassed Waterway 412
Grassed Waterway at 24 points will have an adequate outlet.

Pasture and Hayland Planting 512
Pasture planting at 18 points will cover cropland going into native grasses, forbs and/or legumes. Seedbed preparation may also be needed as a component of this practice. There will also be a need for weed control until a stand is established.

Buffers Buffers will follow the same steps as Pasture and Hayland Planting.
Field Borders 386 at 21 points
Crosswind Trap Strips 422A at 21 points

Ground and Surface Water - Ogallala Special Emphasis Area

An Area Wide Worksheet will be used to rank these applications.