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EQIP Program in Wheeler 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).

Wheeler County Office Information

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

Specific State Concern State Resource Concern
AFO-CAFO -Poultry  Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Swine  Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Dairy  Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO-Beef Water Quality/Air Quality
Salt Cedar Invasive Species
Rolling Plains - Grassland Bird - Bobwhite Quail Wildlife
Panhandle Lesser Prairie chicken/Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Wildlife
Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher All

Objective:

The objective of the Wheeler County EQIP Local Work Group is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county with major emphasis on soil erosion, plant health and water quantity.

County Base Fund

The Wheeler County Local Work Group has identified Plant Health, Soil Erosion, and Water Quantity as the three major resource concerns for 2007.

Major Resource Concerns will be funded or ranked in this order under County Base:

  • Plant Health – High
  • Soil Erosion - Medium
  • Water Quantity - Low
    • Under Ground and Surface Water (G & SW) Funds
    The Wheeler County Local Work Group has also identified Water Quantity as resource concern for 2007.

    Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

    Cost Share Rates for County Base Allocations

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

    Ground and Surface Water (G&SW) cost shares practice rate will be -
  • Chemigation valve - 50 percent
  • New sprinklers - 20 percent
  • Renozzle or sprinkler conversion - 50 percent
  • Flowmeter - 50 percent


    • Cost-share Rates for Ground and Surface Water Ogallala

  • Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers – 90 percent
  • Beginning Farmers and Rancers – 50 percent
  • All Others – 50 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.

    Cost sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide.

    Practices listed on the ranking sheet will be practices cost shared.

    Ground and Surface Water (G & SW) Funds will be based on system comparisons completed at the local NRCS Office.

    Ranking Criteria:

    Plant Health – High Priority Resource Concern

    Water Supply Inadequate distribution of water that will be treated by installing watering systems.

  • Well = 25 points
  • Water Storage Facility = 25 points
  • Pipeline = 25 points
  • Cross-fence = 20 points 

    Plant Diversity

    Planned acres must have less than 50 percent ground cover to be awarded points.

  • Range Planting = 55 points
  • Pasture Planting = 40 points

    Invasion of Woody Vegetation

    (Award Points in one category only)

  • >30 percent canopy cover = 52 points
  • >20-29 percent canopy cover = 42 points
  • >10-19 percent canopy cover = 22 points

    Prescribe Grazing

    (Incentive Payments)

  • One year deferment only (until frost) = 50 points
  •  Two year deferment (90 days) = 100 points

    Soil Erosion – Medium Priority Resource Concern

  • Terraces = 50 points
  • Underground Outlets = 50 points
  • Waterway = 50 points
  • Converting Cropland to Grassland = 40 points
  • Leveling Old Structures = 0 points
    •  
    Water Quantity – Low Priority Resource Concern

  • Chemigation Valve – 50 percent
  • Renozzle or Sprinkler Conversion – 50 percent
  • Flowmeter – 50 percent


    • Ground and Surface Water (G & SW) and Water Quantity Screening Criteria. Must address ground and surface water conservation.

  • Irrigation System must be able to apply 3 gallons per minute per acre.

    Land included in the application must have been irrigated 2 our of the last 5 years
    		•