EQIP Program in Wichita 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).

Wichita County Office Information

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

Objective:

In Wichita County for 2007 FY, Plant Health, Erosion, and Water Quantity were selected as the highest priority resource concerns. Of these three high priority resource concerns, plant health will be ranked first with erosion second, and water quantity third.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Wichita County for 2006, Erosion, Plant Health, and Water Quantity were selected as the highest priority resource concerns. Of these three high priority resource concerns, Erosion will be ranked first with plant health second, and water quantity third.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

County Base Funds
Cost Share Rate

Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent for average cost practice and flat rates will be the dollar amount listed for the practice.

All other producers including beginner farmers or ranchers - cost share rate will be 50 percent for average cost practices and flat rates will be the dollar amount listed for the practice.

Pest Management (Weed Control) and Prescribed Grazing (Deferred Grazing) will be cost shared on a flat rate basis as Incentive Practices.

Flat rates and average cost are based on a combination of the current average cost, actual cost from Wichita County and adjoining counties, quotes, and the cost share rates that were recommended by the LWG.

The amount of cost share earned for average cost share practices will be the number of eligible cost share units certified after completion, multiplied by the average cost, multiplied by the cost share percentage. If the application is approved for a contract, the cost share earned cannot exceed what is set up in the contract. The following are the practices that will be cost shared:

Erosion

Terraces 600 - Units are feet or cubic yards and the cost share will be by average cost.

Diversions 362 - Units are cubic yards and the cost share will be by average cost.

Grassed Waterways 412 - Units are acres and the cost share will be by average cost.

Range Seeding 550 or Pasture Planting 512 – units will be acres and the cost share will be by average cost.

Plant Health

Pest Management 595 - Units are acres and the cost share rate is a flat rate.

Brush Management 314 – Units are acres and the cost share will be by average cost.

Prescribed Grazing 528A (Deferred Grazing) - Units are acres and the cost share rate is set on a flat rate as an incentive payment.

Pasture Planting 510 and Range Seeding 550 - Units are acres and the cost share will be by average cost.

Pond 378 - Units are cubic yards and the cost share will be by average cost.

Fence 382 – Units are feet and the cost share will be by average cost.

Water Quantity

Land Leveling 464 - Units are cubic yards and the cost share will be by average cost.

Irrigation Water Conveyance 430DD - Units are feet and the cost share will be by average cost.

Ranking Criteria:

Wichita County Ranking Criteria for the 2007 FY Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)

Resource Concerns - Plant Health, Erosion and Sedimentation, Water Quantity

Instructions for completing the ranking criteria:

Check yes for only one main resource concern, Items number 1, 4, or 8. Check yes for only one practice that is associated with that resource concern, Items number 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, or 11. The following shows which practices are linked to a resource concern. Only check a practice that is linked to the resource concern you chose as the priority on your land. When you finish you should have only 2 yes’s plus answer item #12 yes or no. Exception - See the No. 1 near the bottom of the page.

Plant Health – Items number 2, 3, 6, 7, and 10

Erosion – Items number 5 and 6
Water Quantity – Items number 9 and 11

Check Item number 12 only if you have a conservation plan on file with the local NRCS office prior to October 1, 2006.

1. Do the majority of the proposed treated acres on the application give priority to the Resource Concern _ PLANT HEALTH, as it relates to controlling invasive species on grassland and improving vegetative cover on rangeland.
   Yes_____100 points
   No______ 0 points
   
   
2. Does the majority of the acres on the application give priority to the practice - pest management .
   Yes______95 points
   No________0 points
   
   
3. Does the majority of the acres on the application give priority to the practice - brush management.
   Yes______90 points
   No________0 points
   
   
4. Does the majority of the proposed treated acres on the application give priority to the Resource Concern _ EROSION on cropland..
   Yes______80 points
   No________0 points
   
   
5. Does the majority of the acres on the application give priority to the practices - terraces, waterways, or diversions (any or all).
   Yes______75 points
   No_______ 0 points
   
   
6. Does the majority of the acres on the application give priority to the practice - seeding cropland back to grass or reseeding rangeland and/or pastureland.
   Yes______70 points
   No______ _0 points
   
   
7. Are ponds or fences the primary practice for the application. Base this decision on the acres in the field where the pond is located or the acres in the field that is being divided by a fence.
   Yes_______55 points
   No_____ ___0 Points
   
   
8. Does the majority of the proposed treated acres on the application give priority to,the Resource Concern _ WATER QUANTITY on irrigated land.
   Yes_______45 points
   No_________0 points
   
   
9. Is irrigation pipeline the the primary practice on the application
   Yes_______40 points
   No_________0 points
   
   
10. Is the primary practice on the application prescribed grazing to rest your rangeland during the growing season.
    Yes_______30 points
    No_________0 points
    
    
11. Is the primary practice on the application irrigation land leveling on land irrigated at least 2 of the last 5 years.
    Yes_______25 points
    No_________0 points
    
    
12. As of October 1, 2006 do you have a conservation plan on file at the NRCS office.
    Yes_______10 points
    No_________0 points

Other Information:
Erosion - applicable to all cropland.

Terraces, Waterways, and Diversions to be eligible for cost share, erosion must exceed the allowable soil loss tolerance for the soil or have visible ephemeral and gully erosion.

Plant Health - Applicable to established stands of grass, either rangeland or pastureland.

Pest Management Incentive – Eligible on existing established grass only. The area sprayed will be deferred according to product label. This practice may be scheduled for up to 3 times during the life of the contract and must be completed prior to May 30 each year.

Brush Management - practices include mechanical, chemical, and individual plant treatment. Chemicals approved for cost share will be those listed in the Field Office Technical Guide and approved by the local NRCS office. Reseeding will be required where 25 percent or more of the ground has been disturbed by tree dozing or where rootplowing is used. To be eligible for cost share, there should be 10 percent or more canopy cover for aerial spraying, root plowing, or tree dozing, and a minimum 50 trees per acre for individual plant treatment. Non-cost share deferment will be required for at least 90 consecutive days of the growing season following brush management or longer as prescribed by the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide.

Prescribed Grazing Incentive (Deferred Grazing) - It does not include the first year deferment when it is required by the practice standard in the Field Office Technical Guide, example – Brush Management. The practice may be scheduled for 1 to 3 years. Deferment will be for 3 months or 6 months of the growing season. Deferment will be for consecutive months during the growing season. The 3 month deferment will be during the spring or fall growing season.

Grass Planting - Eligible on rangeland, pastureland, and cropland. Deferment following seeding or sprigging will be required until the grass is well established, normally one year but it can be longer.

Pond - to be eligible for cost share the pond has to meet NRCS eligibility standards and specifications.

Fence – a minimum 4 strand barbed wire cross fence used for grazing management . To be eligible for cost share the fence has to meet NRCS eligibility standards and specifications.

Water Quantity - applicable to land that has been irrigated 2 out of the last 5 years

Irrigation Pipeline - for the installation of an irrigation pipeline to reduce the loss of irrigation water.

Land Leveling –for land that is eligible for irrigation and meets the soil requirement criteria.

No. 1 - If more then one resource concern is used on an application, the maximum ranking total cannot exceed the resource concern with the least amount of total points. For example, if Plant Health with the practice, Pest Management earns the maximum of 195 points and Water Quantity with the practice, Irrigation Pipeline earns the maximum of 85 points and you are showing practices for both on your application, than the ranking will be changed to the resource concern and practice with the least amount of points, in this case 85 points.