EQIP Program in Brazos County

Updated 11/28/2005

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).

Brazos County Office Information

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

Objective:

The objective of the Brazos County EQIP is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. The major concerns are improving the quality of pasture, rangeland, and hayland, by improving plant health thus reducing erosion; reducing erosion on cropland, and stabilizing the grade and controlling gully erosion in areas of concentrated flow; and the need to increase the efficiency of irrigation water use on cropland.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In 2006 the Brazos County Local Work Group identified the following resource concerns as being high priority for cost share assistance:

Plant Health was selected with the focus being to improving the quality plant health by completing brush management (to include pasture planting, nutrient management, pest management and prescribed grazing, when mechanical control is used); improving pasture conditions through the use of overseeding clover to existing pastures, or pasture planting (must have 50 percent or less stand of desirable grasses , and will include nutrient management, and pest management); cross-fencing for grazing management; ponds or livestock wells and pipelines for livestock water and better grazing distribution (for rotational grazing only and must include use exclusion and critical area planting for pond dam and spillway); the use of riparian forest buffers, use exclusion, heavy use protection in areas along draws or creeks; and critical area shaping and planting in eroded areas.

Erosion was selected as another high priority with emphasis being placed on incentive payments to encourage the use of no-till, and limited till farming practices; the installation of grade stabilization structures to control the grade and head cutting in channels and to prevent the formation or advance of gullies.

Water quantity was also selected as a high priority with the emphasis on the installation of center pivot irrigation systems, to include the underground pipeline from the well to the center pivot (land must have been irrigated 2 of the last 5 years, with at least 3 gallons per minute water volume for each acre to be irrigated).


Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers will be eligible for 90  percent Cost Share through additional funding set aside at the state level for use in Brazos county, based on the same resource concerns stated above.

In addition to the county funding, commercial poultry operations or participants approved for the use of litter from poultry operations on agriculture land will be eligible to sign up under Statewide Resource Concern under the Poultry AFO and CAFO
Concerns.
 

Priority for Funding:

Plant Health will receive 50  percent of the total funds allocated to Brazos county in 2006.
Erosion will receive 30  percent of the total funds allocated to Brazos county in 2006.
Water Quantity will receive 20  percent of the total funds allocated to Brazos County in 2006.

During the funding process, if any money remains in any concern after all of the applications for that concern are funded, the slippage will be funded according to the following priority: Plant Health first, Erosion second and Water Quantity third.

Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers will be eligible for cost share through additional funds set aside at the state level for use in Brazos county, based on the same resource concerns as stated above.
 

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Plant Health Concern:

Riparian Forest Buffer (391) - 15 year life span - Includes cost share for the fence along draw and planting of hardwood trees
Site Preparation – Herbicide 50 percent of $90 per acre
Site Preparation – Shredding 50 percent of $10 per acre
Bare Root seedlings – Hardwood 50 percent of $.44 per each
Hand Planting - 50 percent of $80 per acre
Fence – 4 strand barbed wire 50 percent of $1.50 per foot

Use Exclusion (472) - 10 year life span - Livestock exclusion on perennial streams
and gullies.
Two wire power fence 50 percent of $.50 per foot
Three wire power fence 50 percent of $.55 per foot
Energizer (electric) 50 percent of $350
Energizer (solar) 50 percent of $450
Four strand barbed wire fence 50 percent of $1.50 per foot

Brush Management (314) - 10 year life span – Limited to treatment of Mesquite
Huisache, and Cedar stands only – Maximum of 60 acres
Light Infestation – 10-30 percent canopy cover 50 percent of $40 per acre chemical
50 percent of $300 per acre mechanical
Medium Infestation – 31-49 percent canopy cover 50 percent of $60 per acre chemical
50 percent of $450 per acre mechanical
Heavy Infestation – 50 percent or > canopy cover 50 percent of $80 per acre chemical
50 percent of $600 per acre mechanical
Pasture and Hayland planting, Nutrient Management, and Pest Management will be required with cost shared when using mechanical treatment, but no extra points will be awarded in ranking.

Prescribed Grazing (528) - 1 year life span Required in conjunction with Brush
Management - Incentive payment of $10 per acre – limited to 60 acres

Critical Area Planting (342) - 10 year lifespan -
Shaping - Light - < 4 ft. deep gully 50 percent of $300 per acre
Medium – 4 ft. to 8 ft. deep gully 50 percent of $600 per acre
Heavy - > 8 ft. deep gully 50 percent of $900 per acre
Planting of a permanent grass cover, including Nutrient Management (590) and Pest Management (595) will be required with cost-share for those items, but no additional points in ranking

Pasture Planting (512) - 10 year life span -
Overseeding legumes to be managed for reseeding – 50 percent of $45 per acre
On pastures with < 50 percent cover of existing grass stand -
Bermuda, Hybrid Sprigs or Tops, applied - 50 percent of $125 per acre
Nutrient Management and Pest Management are required for one year establishment
With cost share, but no additional points allowed for ranking. Maximum of 60 acres

Range Planting (550) -10 year life span
Planting native grasses seeds and seeding - 50 percent of $115 per acre
Planting grass and forb mixture – seed and seeding 50 percent of $125 per acre
Maximum of 60 acres

Heavy Use Protection (561) - 10 year life span Gully fencing with crossing or limited access to ponds
Geotextile and Installation - 50 percent of $8 per square yard
Gravel, Rock, installed 50 percent of $33 per cubic yard
Fence – 4 strand barbed wire 50 percent of $1.50 per linear foot
Two wire power 50 percent of $.50 per foot
Three wire power 50 percent of $.55 per foot
Energizer – electric 50 percent of $350 each
Solar power 50 percent of $450 each
Site Preparation – light shaping 50 percent of $200 per acre
Medium shaping 50 percent of $450 per acre
Heavy shaping 50 percent of $800 per acre

Fence (382) - 20 year life span - Cross fencing
Two wire power 50 percent of $.50 per foot
Three wire power 50 percent of $.55 per foot
Energizer – electric 50 percent of $350 each
Solar power 50 percent of $450 each
Four wire standard barbed wire fence 50 percent of $1.50 per linear foot
Maximum of 10,000 feet barbed wire, and 20,000 feet electric

Pond (378) - 20 year life span Must be fenced for limited access – Critical Area Planting (342), Nutrient Management and Pest Management will be applied with cost share on any disturbed area above the waterline (dam & spillway), but no additional points allowed in ranking
Earthmoving, Earthfill, Dozer Compacted 50 percent of $1.40 per cubic yard
Earthmoving, Earthfill, Rubber tired equipment 50 percent of $1.40 per cubic yard
Earthmoving, Excavation, Dry 50 percent of $1.40 per cubic yardbr> Earthmoving, Excavation, Wet 50 percent of $1.45 per cubic yard

Well (642) - 20 year life span –
Well, drilling, casing, installation, material develop & pump 50 percent of $16 per foot

Pipeline (516) - 20 year life span
Material and installation 50 percent of $1.25 per foot

Erosion Concern:

No-Till / Strip-Till / Direct Seed (329) - 1 year lifespan - Incentive payment to producers who have not previously followed no-till farming standards and specifications. Payment to be made following the crop planted during the second year of the crop rotation into no-tilled residue. (100 acre maximum limit) at $75 per acre

Mulch Till (345) - 1 year lifespan - Incentive payment to producers who agree to reduce their normal tillage operations from 3 or more down to 2 operations
(100 acre maximum limit) at $20 per acre
Incentive payment to producers who agree to reduce their normal
tillage operations from 2 down to only 1 operation
(100 acre maximum limit) at $25 per acre
Payments to be made following the crop planted during the second
year of the crop rotation.

Grade Stabilization Structure (410) - 15 year lifespan
Earthmoving 50 percent of $1.40 per cubic yard
Barrel, Steel, Material - Installed - 50 percent of $3.00 per diameter foot
Concrete Non-reinforced installed - 50 percent of $150 per cubic yard
(Limited cost-share to total cubic yards by NRCS design – to be completed prior to end of ranking period)

Water Quantity Concern:

Irrigation System, Sprinkler (442) - 15 year lifespan
MESA, LPIC, LEPA, LESA systems on land
irrigated 2 out of last 5 years. 30 percent of $33 per linear foot

Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, Low-pressure, Underground
Plastic (430EE) - 25 year lifespan (Only as part of sprinkler system)
Pipe, Plastic, Irrigation, installed with app. 30 percent of $.55 per linear foot

Ranking Criteria:

In 2006 Brazos County will be participating as one of the testing pilot counties for the National Ranking Tool.

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