EQIP Program in Sherman 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).
Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the
Sherman County USDA Service Center. Applicants may also request
EQIP
assistance by telephone, Fax, e-mail, or letter.
Richie Brotherton,
District Conservationist
State Resource Concerns Priority Areas that include part of
Sherman County:
Objective:
The objective of the Sherman County EQIP Local work group is to promote the use
of conservation practices that address improvement of Plant Health, Wildlife
Habitat, Erosion, Water Quality, and to address Irrigation Water Quantity.
Ground and Surface Water Ogallala Funds
The objective of the Ground and Surface Water Ogallala funds is to promote the
use of conservation irrigation practices to enhance ground water quantity. Water
savings for beneficial use through irrigation system efficiency improvement is
the goal.
County EQIP Resource Concern:
Sherman County Base Funds
Sherman County base funding in EQIP targets Plant Health as the primary concern.
Secondary concerns are Wildlife Habitat, Erosion and Water Quality/Quantity.
Applications addressing the primary resource concern will receive high priority.
Applications addressing secondary concerns will receive low priority. Tie scores
will be broken using the ProTracts random number assignment.
Ground and Surface Water, Ogallala Funds
The primary resource concern for the 2007
Ogallala funding in EQIP for Sherman
County is water quantity. This resource concern is applicable on irrigated land
that has been irrigated 2 out of the last 5 years. Performance will be based on
efficiency improvement, and water conserved for beneficial usage.
Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:
Cost Share Rates
Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers - 60 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All Others - 50 percent
The cost share rate for the base funding is set for all eligible practices
except new irrigation system sprinklers and new drip irrigation systems which
are set at 35 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
rate.
- All practices identified in the Field Office Technical Guide that address the
listed resource concerns will be eligible for cost share.
Ground and Surface Water, Ogallala Funds
Cost Share Rates
Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers - 60 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All Others - 50 percent
The cost share rate for the base funding is set for all eligible
practices except new irrigation system sprinklers and new drip
irrigation systems which are set at 35 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 rate.
- All practices identified in the Field Office Technical Guide that
address the listed resource concerns will be eligible for cost share.
Ranking Criteria:
Sherman County Base Funds
A. Plant Health - Applicable on rangeland, cropland, or pastureland. Concerns
can be loss of health, vigor, and condition of plant resource, limited water
supply, invasion of brush, cropland needing permanent vegetative cover, or loss
of plant diversity. Performance will be based on conservation practices that
address these concerns.
- Livestock water facilities - award points for the planning and installation
of water facilities on grazing land with inadequate distribution of water. Water
facilities are grouped to include pipelines, water troughs, water tanks, wells,
and pumping plants. The need and feasibility of the practice will be determined
by NRCS field office staff. Only award points one time for the planning of
livestock water facility practices. Points are assigned as follows -
Livestock water facilities - 10 points
- Cropland conversion to grass - award points for the planning and application
of conversion of cropland to permanent vegetative cover. Only award points one
time for practice application. Points are assigned as follows -
Cropland Conversion to Grass - 8 points
- Cross Fencing - award points when cross fencing is needed to implement a
grazing system or exclude livestock to protect a resource concern. Only award
points one time per practice per application as follows -
Cross Fencing - 6 points
- Range Planting - award points for the planning and application of reseeding
poor condition rangeland. Only award points one time per application. Points are
assigned as follows -
Range Planting - 4 points
- Brush Spraying - award points for the planning and application of approved
chemicals applied to woody vegetation invading rangeland. Only award points one
time per application.
Points are assigned as follows Brush Spraying - 2 points
B. Wildlife Habitat - Applicable to any type of land where wildlife are
important. Concerns include wildlife water facilities, cropland conversion to
grass, and windbreak and shrub planting.
- Installing wildlife water facilities - award points for the planning and
installation of wildlife watering facilities where they are needed. Water
facilities include pipelines, water troughs or tanks, wells, ponds, and pumping
plants. Only award points one time for the planning of wildlife water
facilities. Points are awarded as follows -
Wildlife Water Facilities - 10 points
- Cropland Conversion to Grass - award points for the planning and application
of conversion of cropland to permanent vegetative cover. Only award points one
time for practice application. Points are assigned as follows -
Cropland Conversion to Grass - 8 points
- Windbreak/Shrub Plantings - award points for the planning and application of
windbreaks and wildlife shrub plantings to enhance wildlife habitat. Points will
be awarded one time only for each application. Points are assigned as follows -
Windbreak/Shrub Plantings - 6 points
C. Erosion Control - this category is applicable to all land uses having severe
erosion problems. Use normal planning procedures in determining the need to
calculate erosion.
- Cropland Conversion to Grass - award points for the planning and application
of grass establishment to control erosion on all types of land. Only award
points one time for each application. Points are assigned as follows -
Cropland Conversion to Grass - 10 points
- Windbreaks - award points for the planning and installation of a windbreak to
control wind erosion. Points are awarded only one time per practice per
application. Points are assigned as follows -
Windbreaks - 8 points
- Grass Waterways - award points for the planning and installation of a grassed
waterway. Points are awarded only one time per practice per application as
follows -
Grass Waterway - 6 points
D. Water Quality - applicable where CAFO or AFO lagoon water needs to be
transported to a cropland irrigation system.
- Irrigation Pipeline - award points for the planning and installation of an
irrigation pipeline installed to transport lagoon water to an irrigation system.
Points are awarded only one time per practice per application. Points are
assigned as follows -
Irrigation Pipeline - 10 points
E. Water Quantity - this resource concern is applicable on irrigated land that
has been irrigated 2 out of the last 5 years. Performance will be based on
system efficiency improvement, and water conserved for beneficial usage
multiplied by a factor relating to the type of practice being installed. In the
event an application is submitted for more than one practice in this concern,
the average of the factors for each practice will be multiplied by the points
calculated by the Ground and Surface Water ranking worksheet. This is a
secondary concern in the Base Funding for EQIP. Practices and factors are as
follows -
- Conversion of existing center pivot to LEPA or LPIC system - multiply score
from GSW ranking worksheet by .07.
- Replace leaking underground irrigation pipeline - Multiply score from GSW
ranking worksheet by .05.
- Conversion of row water system to new center pivot system -cost share rate is
set at 35 percent, limit of 2700 feet per farm number, multiply score from GSW
ranking worksheet by .01
Ground and Surface Water, Ogallala Funds
This resource concern is applicable on irrigated land that has been irrigated 2
out of the last 5 years. Performance is based on system efficiency improvement
and water conserved for beneficial usage. Ranking will be based on the score
figured by the Ground and Surface Water ranking worksheet, and the priority of
the practices set by the local work group. Priorities are set as follows -
- Priority 1 - Conversion of existing system to LEPA or LPIC
- Priority 2 - Replace leaking underground irrigation pipeline
- Priority 3 - Conversion of row system to drip system
- Priority 4 - Conversion of row system to new center pivot system
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