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EQIP Program in Freestone 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
Freestone 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
Freestone County:
Objective:
The objective of the Freestone County EQIP LWG is to promote the use of
conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county
with major emphasis on improving water quality in streams and water bodies.
County EQIP Resource Concern:
In Freestone County for 2006, the LWG has identified Water Quality as the primary resource concern.
Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:
Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 50
percent
Others - 50 percent
Practices will be cost shared based on 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 then multiplied by the cost share
percentage.
Cost sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the
Field Office Technical Guide.
Pasture and Hay Planting, Range Planting, Tree/Shrub Establishment, Ponds,
Fence, and Brush Management.
For cost shares, these practices must be planned, applied, and maintained
according to NRCS specifications and guidelines.
Pasture and Hay Planting 512, Average cost = $57.00 per acre when planting by
seed and $97.00 per acre when planting by sprigs or tops. Nutrient management
and pest management will be applied with pasture and hay planting. For cost
share, planting is only allowed on fields with less than 50 percent ground cover
of the desirable grasses. Legumes will be managed for reseeding.
Range Planting 550, Average cost = $115.00 for grass only mixture and $125.00
for grass/forbs mixture with 10 percent or more forbs.
Nutrient Management 590, Average cost of lime = $32.00 per ton. Average cost of
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium = $0.35 per pound. This practice is for
establishment only and is to be used with Range Planting, Pasture and Hay
Planting, and Critical Area Planting. A nutrient management plan should be
developed before the ranking is completed.
Pest Management 595, Average cost = $12.00 per acre. This practice is for
establishment only and is to be used with Range Planting and Pasture and Hay
Planting.
Tree/Shrub Establishment 612, Average cost = $100.00 per acre for open land and
$115.00 per acre for cutover land. Forest site preparation will be applied with
this practice.
Forest Site Preparation 490, Average cost = $45.00 per acre on open land and
$140.00 for cutover land. This practice is to be used with Tree/Shrub
Establishment.
Pond 378, Average cost is earthmoving excavation/embankment =
$1.50 per cubic
yard. Barrel, Plastic material and installed average cost = $1.25 per diameter
foot. Barrel, Steel material and installed average cost = $1.70 per diameter
foot. All disturbed areas will be vegetated. Maximum cubic yards = 4500 cubic
yards. Ponds will result in better distribution of grazing. Critical Area
Planting will be applied with this practice as needed.
Critical Area Planting 342, Average cost = $140.00 per acre. This practice is to
be used with ponds.
Fence 382, Average cost for a 4 strand barb wire fence is $1.50 per foot.
Average cost for a net wire fence is $2.50 per foot. The maximum amount of cost
share fence per contract is 5280 feet. Boundary fences are not eligible.
Brush Management 314, Average cost for chemical brush management is $60.00 per
acre and the average cost for mechanical brush management is $400.00 per acre.
The maximum amount of cost share for mechanical brush management per contract is
50 acres. The maximum amount of cost share for chemical brush management per
contract is 200 acres.
Incentive payments will be allowed for the following practices as identified in
the Field Office Technical Guide, Nutrient Management.
For incentive payments, this practice must be needed to significantly impact
water quality according to NRCS specification and guidelines. A soil test
report, not over 1 year old, is required for the application to be ranked. A
nutrient management plan should be developed before the ranking is completed.
Nutrient Management 590, Flat rate incentive payments will be as follows,
pH greater than 5.5 - $10.00 per acre for up to three years
pH less than5.5 - $25.00 per acre for the first year, $15.00 per acre for the
second year, and $10.00 per acre for the third year.
Ranking Criteria:
Category I
Brush Management, Chemical, Maximum amount per contract is 200 Acres. - 60 pts
Brush Management, Mechanical, Maximum amount per contract is 50 Acres. - 60 pts
Category II
Pasture and Hay Planting, HEL soils greater than 50 percent = 60 points
Pasture and Hay Planting, HEL and PHEL soils greater than 50 percent = 50 points
Pasture and Hay Planting, NHEL soils greater than 50 percent = 30 points
Category III
Pond = 50 points
Maximum cubic yards - 4500 cubic yards.
Category IV
Fence Maximum amount per contract is 5280 feet - 45 points
Category V
Range Planting, HEL soils greater than 50 percent - 50 points
Range Planting, HEL and PHEL soils greater than 50 percent - 40 points
Range Planting, NHEL soils greater than 50 percent - 20 points
Category VI
Tree/Shrub Establishment, HEL soils greater than 50 percent - 50 points
Tree/Shrub Establishment, HEL and PHEL soils greater than 50 percent - 40 points
Tree/Shrub Establishment , NHEL soils greater than 50 percent - 20 points
Category VII
Nutrient Management Incentive pH less than 5.0 - 35 points
Nutrient Management Incentive pH 5.0 to 5.4 - 30 points
Nutrient Management Incentive pH 5.5 to 6.0 - 20 points
Nutrient Management Incentive pH 6.0 - 10 points
Practices not on practice list are not eligible for cost share or incentive
payments
Producer can get points in only one category.
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