EQIP Program in Stonewall 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).

Stonewall County Office Information

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

Objective:

 The objective of the Stonewall County EQIP Local Work Group is to promote the use of conservation practices for the improvement of natural resources throughout the county with emphasis on treatment of grazingland and cropland.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

The Stonewall County Local Work Group has selected Treatment of Grazingland and Reduction of Erosion on Cropland as primary resource concerns.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Practices Eligible for Cost Share on Grazingland Include -
Mechanical Brush Management, Chemical Brush Management, Fence, Range Planting, Pasture Planting, Nutrient Management, Pest Management, Prescribed Burning, Pond, Pipeline, Pumping Plant, Spring Development, Livestock Watering Facility, Well.

Practices Eligible for Cost Share on Cropland Include -
Terrace, Diversion Terrace, Waterway, Herbaceous Wind Barrier, Critical Area Planting, Nutrient Management, Pest Management.

Practices will be cost shared based on 50 percent of the average cost established for the practice.

Cost Share Rates are -
Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
Others - 50 percent

Ranking Criteria:

Applications for Treatment of Grazingland will be ranked with the following criteria.

1. Brush Management
   Based on weighted average of all acres treated, applications are eligible if canopy cover is greater than 10 percent for Mesquite, Redberry Juniper and related species, or have a plant density of 500 plants per acre or greater of Salt Cedar.
   
   
2. Range Planting
   Eligible on acres that have less than 15 percent desirable grasses or have at least 75 percent ground disturbance after mechanical brush management.
   
   
3. Pasture Planting
   Eligible on acres converted from cropland to permanent grass. Cropland must be designated as HEL or have an annual erosion rate greater than T for the predominant soil.
   
   
4. Nutrient Management
   This practice will be used in association with Pasture Planting to aid establishment of grass. A soil test will be required.
   
   
5. Pest Management
   This practice will be used in association with Pasture Planting to aid establishment of grass, and will be applied according to NRCS specifications, and in accordance with all local, state and federal regulations.
   
   
6. Livestock Water
   The need for livestock water will be based on the type of terrain and travel distance to water in the pasture. The conservation practices that will be used to provide livestock water will include Pond, Pipeline, Pumping Plant, Spring Development, Livestock Watering facility, and Well. Distance to water must be greater than 1/4 mile on rough terrain with slopes greater than 15 percent, greater than 3/8 mile on rolling terrain with slopes of 8 to 15 percent, and greater than 3/4 mile on level terrain with slopes less than 8 percent.
   
   
Fence
Eligible fences will be permanent 4-wire or better and needed to facilitate grazing management.


8. Prescribed Burning
   This practice will be used to reduce the encroachment of undesirable brush, or to improve the quality of livestock forage or wildlife habitat.
   
   Applications for Reduction of Soil Erosion on Cropland will be ranked with the following criteria.
   
   To be eligible for treatment, soil erosion before treatment must be greater than T.