EQIP Program in San Jacinto 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).

San Jacinto County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the San Jacinto 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 San Jacinto County:

Objective:

The objective of the EQIP Local Work Group in San Jacinto County is to promote the use of conservation practices that will improve the natural resources in the county. Some of the major resource concerns are impaired water quality in streams, bayous, and rivers, the need to provide adequate ground cover to protect the soil resources and soil erosion from gully erosion.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In San Jacinto County for 2007, the Local Work Group has identified the following resource concern as being the top priority for cost share assistance this year. Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water was selected as the highest priority in San Jacinto County. By providing an adequate ground cover such as grasses and trees on idle cropland, degraded pastures and cut-over forests, and by the planting of trees along streams, water quality will be improved. Other practices, including critical area planting, livestock ponds, livestock pipelines, and fences, are eligible and will have a positive effect for water quality. Livestock Ponds must serve a minimum of 25 acres per pasture, must meet the criteria for livestock water needs, and not exceed 2500 cubic yards. Livestock Pipelines are available only to limited resource producers with agriculture operations too small to meet the requirements for livestock ponds. Fences must be to exclude livestock and/or to protect other practices such as pasture planting, tree planting, or riparian forest buffers.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost share rates are based on the 2007 average cost list for the EQIP program for San Jacinto County.

Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the average cost as per an approved contract. The amount of cost share earned will be the number of units certified by NRCS after completion of the conservation practice multiplied by the cost share rate.

Ranking Criteria:

Points will only be awarded for conservation practices that address the resource concern identified for the county and meets the Natural Resources Conservation Services Field Office Technical Guide standards and specifications. Ranking points will only be calculated for the primary pratice applied for, not for multiple practices. Cost-share can be requested and approved for multiple practices as long as the practices meets the criteria of the program. Applications with practices requiring nutrient management 590, or where nutrients will be applied, must have a soil analysis prior to the application being ranked and completed.

Questions for Ranking Criteria

Resource Concern – Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water

1. (YES = 100 points, NO = 0 points) Do you currently have a conservation farm plan or are you willing to develop one with NRCS assistance?
   
   
2. (YES = 95 points, NO = 0 points) Will you be planting trees (Pine or Hardwood) on cut-over forest?
   
   
3. (YES = 90 points, NO = 0 points) Will you be planting trees (Pine or Hardwood) on idle cropland, or on pastures?
   
   
4. (YES = 85 points, NO = 0 points) Will you be planting grasses on idle cropland or existing pastureland that has less than 50% cover of manageable species?
   
   
5. (YES = 80 points, NO = 0 points) Will you overseed existing warm season grasses with legumes?