EQIP Program in Rains 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).
Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the
Rains 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
Rains County:
Objective:
The objectives of the Rains County EQIP Local Work Group are to promote the
use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the
county. Some of the major resource concerns are reduction of soil erosion due to
water and the need to improve plant productivity and health.
County EQIP Resource Concern:
In Rains County for 2006, the Local Work Group (LWG) has identified Water
Quality as the major resource concern.
Priority for Funding:
*All applications will be accepted and ranked for funding. Applicants will
select the one practice that addresses a most critical need to establish
priority ranking. When multiple practices are needed and selected, a weighted
average of those practices will be used to establish priority ranking.
Conservation practices requested for cost sharing should have a positive effect
on addressing the major resource concern.
Effect of Practice on Problem
3 = Significant Decrease
2 = Moderate Decrease
1 = Slight Decrease
0 = No Effect
-3 = Significant Increase
-2 = Moderate Increase
-1 = Slight Increase
Screening Priority
2 - 3 = High
1-1.9 = Medium
0 -.9 = Low
Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:
Basic cost share rate - 50 percent
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers - 75 percent
Limited Resource Producers - 90 percent
Practices will be cost shared based on the established average cost of the
practice not to exceed the maximum. The amount of cost share earned will be the
number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost not to
exceed the maximum multiplied by the cost share rate.
Cost Sharing will be allowed for the following practices as identified in the
Field Office Technical Guide.
Pasture and Hayland Planting 512 - This practice is limited to 80.0 acres per
contract. Nutrient Management and Pest Management will be applied with this
practice.
Average cost = $95.00 per acre when planting by seed.
Average cost = $195.00 per acre when planting by tops or sprigs.
Critical Area Planting 342 - Nutrient Management and Pest Management will be
applied with this practice.
Average cost of Heavy Shaping = $750.00 per acre.
Average cost of Medium Shaping = $650.00 per acre.
Average cost of Light Shaping = $550.00 per acre.
Nutrient Management 590 - This practice is for establishment only, a current
soils analysis is required.
Average cost of fertilizer = $0.40 per pound.
Average cost of lime = $34.00 per ton.
Pest Management 595 - This practice is for establishment only.
Average cost of chemical or mechanical weed control = $18.00 per acre.
Tree/Shrub Establishment 612
Average cost of planting on open land = $95.00 per acre.
Average cost of planting on cutover land = $105.00 per acre.
Forest Site Preparation 490 - This practice is to be applied with Tree Planting.
Average cost = $55.00 per acre on open land.
Average cost = $200.00 per acre on cutover land.
Grade Stabilization Structure 410 - Critical Area Planting will be applied with
this practice.
Average cost of earthmoving = $1.50 per cubic yard 10000 cu.yds. maximum.
Average cost of barrel and material installed =$2.50 per diameter foot.
Pond 378 - Critical Area Planting will applied with this practice.
Average cost of earthmoving = $1.50 per cubic yard 3000 cu.yd. maximum.
Average cost of barrel and material installed =$1.30 per diameter foot.
Fence 382 - Cross fencing and limited access point for livestock, boundary
fences will not be cost shared.
Average cost for labor and material = $1.90 per foot.
Heavy Use Protection 561 - Applicable to limited access points in ponds.
Average cost = $60.00 per ton - Rock Rip Rap or Crushed rock * Average cost =
$160.00 per cubic yard – Reinforced Concrete
Watering Facility 614 - This practice is eligible for livestock water only.
Average cost = $0.80 per gallon
Pipeline 516 - This practice is eligible for livestock water only.
Average cost = $2.21 per linear foot.
Spring Development 574 - This practice is eligible for livestock water only.
Average cost of spring box, materials and labor = $1500.00.
Manure Transfer 634
Average cost = $9,500.00 Pump and Appurtances
Average cost = $12,500.00 Power Source
Average cost = $11.50 Pipe and Appurtances
Average cost = $24,250.00 Hose Reel Sprinkler and Appurtances
Ranking Criteria:
Points for all practices will be awarded by adding together the following
factors; Highly Erodible Land Factor (HEL), Soil Erodiblility Factor (K), Runoff
Curve Number (CN) and Physical Effect of Practice. The HEL factor, K factor and
runoff curve number will be computated on the predominant soil in the treatment
unit.
Ranking Factors
HEL Factor _______
K Factor _______
Runoff Curve Number (Eng. Tech. Note 210-18-TX5) _______
Effect of Practice _______
Total Points ________
Highly Erodible Land Ratings
Highly Erodible = 3 Potential Highly Erodible = 2 Not Highly Erodible = 1
Practices and Physical Effects
Pasture and Hayland Planting = 3
Heavy Use Protection =2
Critical Area Planting = 3
Spring Development = 2
Tree/Shrub Establishment = 3
Watering Facility (Trough) = 2
Nutrient Management = 0*
Pipeline = 1
Pest Management = 0*
Pond with limited access point = 2
Forest Site Preparation = 0*
Pond without limited access point = 1
Grade Stabilization Structure = 3
Fence = 1
Manure Transfer = 2
* No points will be awarded for eligible practices required for the success of
another practice.
Ties will be broken by determining the distance of planned practice from a named
stream or water body as indicated on the USGS topographic map.
0 – 500 feet = 5 Points 501 – 1000 feet = 4 Points 1001 – 1500 feet = 3 Points
1501 – 2000 feet = 2 Points 2001 feet = 1 Point
Note: Land conversions will be limited to cultivated cropland fields planted to
forest, hay, pasture or range. There will be no other land conversions, i.e.,
cutover timberland to hay or grazinglands, and grazinglands and hayland to
forestland associated with EQIP in 2006. Pasture and Hayland Planting is not
offered to change grass species. There must be less than 50% of desirable
grasses in a field to be eligible for this practice. Ponds are only offered for
livestock water when no other adequate source of water is available within a
grazing unit. Boundary or property fences are not eligible for cost share in
Texas. Fencing to separate grazing land from cropland, hayland or headquarters
is not eligible for cost share. Cost share dollars will not be used to cross
fence fields that are without existing permanent boundary fences and are not
capable of facilitating livestock.
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