EQIP Program in Roberts 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  resource concerns identified by the Local Work Group (LWG).

Roberts County Office Information

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

Objective:

County Base Funds
The objective of the Roberts County EQIP Local Work Group (LWG) for County Base Funds is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving natural resources in the county with emphasis on improving plant health and preventing erosion.

Ground and Surface Water Conservation - Ogallala GSWC Funds
The objective of the Roberts County EQIP LWG for GSWC Funds is improving efficiency and conservation of irrigation water.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

County Base Funds
In Roberts County for 2007, the Local Work Group LWG has identified Plant Health and Erosion as the major resource concerns for base funds.

Ground and Surface Water - Ogallala GSWC Funds
In Roberts County for 2007, the LWG has identified conservation and efficient use of irrigation water as the resource concern for GSWC Funds.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

The following applies to County Base Funds and Ground and Surface Water Conservation Ogallala GSWC Funds
Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 50 percent
Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on an established average cost.

County Base Funds
See Cost List for Roberts County for eligible practices and cost share rates. Practice Code 430EE Irrigation Water Conveyance and Practice Code 442 Irrigation System - Sprinkler, are not eligible for cost share with County Base Funds.

Ground and Surface Water Conservation- Ogallala GSWC Funds
See Cost List for Roberts County for eligible practices and cost share rates. Only Practice Code 430EE Irrigation Water Conveyance and Practice Code 442 Irrigation System - Sprinkler, are eligible for cost share with GSWC Funds

Ranking Criteria:

County Base Funds
County Base Fund applications will be ranked as follows -

Plant Health
Livestock Watering Facilities 4/,5/ - 6 points
Brush Management  - Canopy Cover > 40 percent - 5 points
Brush Management  - Canopy Cover 10 to 40 percent - 4 points
Cross-Fencing - 6 points
Cropland Conversion to Grass - 5 points
Prescribed Burning - 1 point
Erosion
Erosion Control Structures 6/ - 6 points
Cropland Conversion to Grass - 5 points

Footnotes/-
1/ A conservation practice must have cost share planned to receive a score.
2/ Priority set by Local Work Group.
3/ Score one resource concern only.
4/ Count acres benefited by multiple Livestock Watering Facilities that serve the same acres only once. IE - 320 acres are benefited by a planned Well, Pump and Trough that will serve the same 320 acres.
5/ Includes Livestock Wells, Livestock Pipelines, Troughs, Pumps, Pumping Plants.
( Solar Powered, Electric Submersible and Windmill units.)
6/ Includes practices like Terraces, Waterways, Basin and Diversion Terraces.
7/ Priority number will be multiplied times acres benefited.

GSWC Fund applications will be ranked on type of system conversion as listed from highest to lowest priority:

Existing center pivot system conversion (Low Energy Precision Application, Low Elevation Spray Application, and Low Pressure In Canopy.)

Replacing existing leaky irrigation pipeline.

Installing new center pivot system to replace an inefficient means of irrigation such as row water, sideroll, or handlines.

Chemigation valves and flowmeters are eligible for cost share only as a component of sprinkler conversions, pipelines, and new center pivot sprinkler systems.