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 Antelope




Leon River Restoration

Objective:

Wildlife Habitat for Golden-Cheeked Warbler and Black-Capped Vireo

EQIP funds will leverage other state, federal and private funds to continue the Leon River Restoration Project (LRRP). The project provides landowners in the Leon River Watershed in Hamilton and Coryell counties technical and financial assistance needed to apply conservation measures to improve the quality and quantity of water. The project will accomplish these goals through the treatment of regrowth Ashe Juniper, while improving wildlife habitat and populations, including the federally listed Black-capped Vireo and Golden-checked Warbler.
 

Resource Concern:

Water Quantity/Brush Management

Eligibility:

Eligible on rangeland in the Leon River Watershed with Ashe Juniper infestations. An approved Wildlife Management Plan with Texas Parks and Wildlife or a Resource Management Systems conservation plan will be developed in conjunction with the EQIP contract. Applicable counties:

  • Coryell
  • Hamilton

Screening

Priority Watersheds

High Priority

  • Little Egg
  • Egg
  • Sycamore
  • Plum Creek
  • Cowhouse Creek

Medium Priority

  • Eagle Creek
  • Bullard

Low Priority

  • All other applications in the Leon River Watershed

All applications in high priority watershed will be accepted and ranked for possible funding. Applications in medium priority watershed will be accepted but not ranked unless funds are available after all high priority applications are funded. Applications in low priority watersheds will be accepted but not ranked unless funds are available after all high and medium priority applications are funded.

Ranking Criteria

Key Range Sites

  • Low Stony Hill Ecological Site
  • Shallow Ecological Site
  • Adobe Ecological Site
  • Stony Clay Loam Ecological Site
  • Clay Loam Ecological Site
  • Very Shallow Ecological Site
Greater than 75 % of the acreage to be treated consist of key range sites    50 points
50% to 75 % of the acreage to be treated consist of key range sites    25 points
Less than 50% of the acreage to be treated consist of key range sites    10 points

Ashe Juniper Canopy

Land to be treated has > 20 percent regrowth* Ashe juniper canopy    50 Points
Land to be treated has < 20 percent regrowth* Ashe juniper canopy    10 Points

*Regrowth = Ashe juniper has an average height of less than 15 feet and dbh of less than 5 inches.

Plan approved by Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD).  

An approved Wildlife Management Plan must be in place or willing to develop one according to a Resource Management System.

Eligible Practices:

  • Brush Management (314)
  • Range Planting (550)
  • Prescribe Grazing (528A)
  • Prescribed Burning (338)

Cost Share

Limited Resource Farmer/Rancher    90 percent
Beginning Farmer/Rancher    50 percent
All others    50 percent

Practices will be cost shared based on the established county average cost of the practice.

Incentive

 Prescribed Grazing – 100% of a set incentive rate - $17 per acre per year

  • Limited to a maximum of 3 years
  • Applicable only for grazing management and deferment on acres following Brush Management, Range Planting, or prior to or after a planned Prescribed Burning


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