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EQIP Program in Polk 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).

Polk County Office Information
Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Polk 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 Polk County:

Specific State Concern	State Resource Concern
AFO-CAFO -Poultry	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Swine	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO-Beef	Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Dairy	Water Quality/Air Quality
Salt Cedar	Invasive Species
Chinese Tallow	Invasive Species
Longleaf Pine-Bobwhite Quail-Red Cockaded Woodpecker	Wildlife
Reforestation	Plant Condition
Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher	All

Objective:

The objective of the EQIP Local Work Group in Polk County is to promote the use of conservation practices that will improve the natural resources in the county. Some of the major resource concerns are impaired water quality in streams, bayous, and rivers, the need to provide adequate ground cover to protect the soil resources and soil erosion from gully erosion.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

In Polk County for 2006, the Local Work Group has identified the following resource concern as being the top priority for cost share assistance this year. Water Quality was selected as the highest priority in Polk County. By providing an adequate ground cover such as grasses and trees on idle cropland, degraded pastures and cut-over forests, and by the planting of trees along streams, water quality will be improved. Other practices, including critical area planting, livestock ponds, livestock pipelines, and fences, are eligible and will have a positive effect for water quality. Livestock Ponds must serve a minimum of 25 acres per pasture, must meet the criteria for livestock water needs, and not exceed 2500 cubic yards. Livestock Pipelines is available only to limited resource producers with agriculture operations too small to meet the requirements for livestock ponds. Fences must be to exclude livestock and/or to protect other practices such as pasture planting, tree planting, or riparian forest buffers.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Cost Share Rates
Cost share rates are based on the 2006 average cost list for the EQIP program for Polk County.
Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 50 percent
All Others - 50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the actual cost not to exceed a specified maximum, AM, as per an approved contract. The amount of the cost share earned will be the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the actual cost not to exceed the specified maximum average cost multiplied by the cost share rate.

I. Pasture Planting Code 512 - Units = Acres
1. Average cost for sprigged grasses = $200.00 per Acre, including seedbed preparation and planting.

Nutrient management - N, P, and K - for grass establishment 590 - Units = lbs., average cost = $0.60 per lb.

Limestone - units=ton - average cost = $40.00 per ton.

Weed control for grass establishment 595 - Units = Acres, average cost = $25.00 per Acres.
2. Average cost for seeded grasses = $175.00 per Acre, including seedbed preparation and planting.

Nutrient management - N,P, and K - for grass establishment 590 - Units = lbs., average cost = $0.60 per lb.

Limestone - units=ton - average cost = $40.00 per ton.

Weed control for grass establishment 595 - Units = Acres, average cost = $25.00 per Acres.
3. Average cost for seeded legumes = $60.00 per Acre, including seedbed preparation and planting.

Nutrient management - N,P, and K - for grass establishment 590 - Units = lbs., average cost = $0.60 per lb.

Limestone - units=ton - average cost = $40.00 per ton.

II. Tree Establishment Code 612 - Units = Acres
1. Average cost for pine planting = $150.00 per Acre, including pine seedlings and planting operation.
2. Average cost for Longleaf pine planting = $220.00 per Acre, including Longleaf pine seedlings and planting operation.
3. Average cost for hardwood planting = $250.00 per Acre, including hardwood seedlings and planting operation.

III. Woodland Site Preparation 490 - Unit =Acres
1. Site preparation, shearing and piling = $275.00 per Acre.
2. Site preparation, bedding = $125.00 per Acre.
3. Site preparation, chemical application = $150.00 per Acre.
4. Site preparation, mechanical roller chopping = $125.00 per Acre.
5. Chemical application, banding, post planting = $70.00 per Acre.
6. Site preparation, mechanical mowing = $25.00 per Acre.
7. Site preparation, prescribe burning = $50.00 per Acre.

IV. Riparian Forest Buffer Code 391 - Units = Acres
1. Average cost for open land planting = $200.00 per Acre, including seedlings, both pine and hardwood, and planting operation.

V. Pond Code 378 - Units = Cubic Yards
1. Average cost = $2.00 per Cubic Yard

Maximum 2500 Cubic Yards, must serve a minimum of 25 acres per pasture,and must meet the criteria for livestock water.

Dams, spillways and spoil areas will be vegetated using the Critical Area Planting practice Code 342.

VI. Pipeline Code 516 - Units = ft
1. Average cost = $1.00 per dia. in.

VII. Critical Area Planting Code 342 - Units = Acres
1. Average Cost is based on degree and extent of erosion and includes mechanical shaping.
2. All critical area planting will use components of pasture planting, code 512.

Medium Ditches 4 to 8 foot depth = $500.00 per Acre

Light Ditches < 4 foot depth = $350 per Acre

VIII. Fence Code 382 - Units = Feet
1. Average Cost = $1.25 per foot
2. Fence must meet one or more of the following criteria to be eligible for cost share.

A. Serve a pasture of 25 acres or more.
B. Protect riparian forest buffers.
C. Exclude livestock from other newly installed practices

Ranking Criteria:

Points will only be awarded for conservation practices that address the resource concern identified for the county and meets the Natural Resources Conservation Services Field Office Technical Guide standards and specifications. Ranking points will only be calculated for the primary pratice applied for, not for multiple practices. Cost-share can be requested and approved for multiple practices as long as the practices meets the criteria of the program. Applications with practices requiring nutrient management 590, or where nutrients will be applied, must have a soil analysis prior to the application being ranked and completed.

Ranking Sheet

Name _______________________________ Application Number ______________________________
Farm Number __________ Tract Number _________ Field Number __________ Total acres ________
Field office ___________________________ County _____________________________________

1. Pasture and Hayland Practices
Pasture planting maximum 500 acres cost share

Greater than 50 percent cover of manageable species -------------------------------------------------- 0 points

Greater than 50 percent cover of non-manageable species ---HEL and PHEL ------------------------ 70 points

Greater than 50 percent cover of non-manageable species --- NHEL --------------------------------- 60 points
Legume planting overseeding

Less than 50 percent cover of manageable species ---------------------------------------------------- 50 points

Greater than 50 percent cover of manageable species ------------------------------------------------- 35 points

2. Forestland practices
Tree planting maximum 500 acres cost share

Clear cut / cut over land --- HEL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 points

Clear cut/cut over land --- NHEL --------------------------------------------------------------------- 75 points

Open land --- HEL and PHEL ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 65 points

Open land --- NHEL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 points

Forest stand improvement

Removal of undesirable species ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 points

3. Riparian forest buffers

Including all forest buffers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 points

4. Land treatment practices
Critical area planting including shaping and planting

1 acre or less ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 points

1 acre to 3 acres ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 points

3 acres and larger ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0 points

5. Livestock water
Ponds

2500 cubic yards or less, serving 25 acres of pastureland or more,and meeting all NRCS standards and specifications. ----------------------- 10 points

Larger than 2500 cu.yds. or serving less than 25 acres of pastureland and/or not meeting nrcs standards
and specifications. not eligible for cost/share ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 points
Pipeline

Livestock pipelines meeting all NRCS standards and specifications. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 points
6. Cross fence
Costshare is available only as a component to pasture and hayland practices and forestland practices where livestock
exclusion and protection of other practices are required. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 points

NRCS official - __________________________________Date - ________________

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