United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Montana Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content



Montana Bulletin MT300-8-4, 2008 EQIP Ground and Surface Water Special Initiative

October 2, 2007

Subject: LTP - 2008 EQIP Ground and Surface Water Special Initiative

To: All Offices

Purpose: To issue the Montana NRCS policy for the Ground and Surface Water (G&SW) Special Initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Expiration Date: September 30, 2008.

The EQIP Ground and Surface Water provisions (G&SW) expired at the end of FY2007. Therefore, this funding source is not available in FY2008 without reauthorization by Congress. However, G&SW has been useful to NRCS in funding group projects, large projects, and other projects. Therefore, it has been decided that NRCS will offer through regular EQIP a 2008 G&SW Special Initiative (SI). Any application that is eligible for this initiative should be tied to the fund code “SI: G&SW” and will be screened using the screening tool attached to this bulletin and assigned a priority based on the system established by this bulletin. Like G&SW of prior years this initiative will require a net water savings.

Application Evaluation and Ranking Process

In 2008 the EQIP G&SW SI applications will be evaluated and ranked using a different process than in past years when G&SW was a separate EQIP allocation. The first step in the process will be applicant eligibility determinations. Applicants that are determined to be eligible for program participation (HELC/WC, AGI, Payment Limitations, eligible agricultural land, eligible agricultural producer(s), and so forth) will move forward. NRCS will not consider funding (application evaluation and ranking) any application that does not meet all eligibility requirements as shown in ProTracts. Eligible applications will be evaluated using a process that consists of a screening tool, a priority system, and an online ranking tool available to NRCS employees through ProTracts.

Screening Tool

The field office (FO) planner will utilize the attached screening tool (MT300-8-4 Attachment A) for determining if the application meets the intent of the G&SW SI. The screening tool will consist of a series of yes or no questions that are designed to separate applications into two (2) levels: meets SI intent and does not meet SI intent as follows:

  • Meets SI Intent: Applications that are screened as “Meets SI Intent” will continue through the screening tool process.
  • Does Not Meet SI Intent: Applications that are screened as “Does Not Meet SI Intent” have been determined to not meet the intent of the EQIP G&SW SI. Therefore, these applications are ineligible for further G&SW SI consideration. They will be marked as “Ineligible” in ProTracts by the FO planner or considered within county-level funds if available and eligible there.

Applications that are determined to meet SI intent will be prioritized using the following system prior to ranking in ProTracts.

Special Initiative Prioritization System
ProTracts Priority Designation G&SW SI Priority Criteria
High 1 Cap or contain free flowing Artesian wells.
High 2 Canals or group irrigation projects where 60% or more of the operators are willing to make water conserving improvements to their irrigation systems, measuring devices are installed at the point of diversion, and an agreement is developed that guarantees water saved will remain or return to the stream/river/lake or groundwater and the engineering survey and design work have been completed by NRCS or outside group.
Medium 3 Canals or group irrigation projects where 60% or more of the operators are willing to make water conserving improvements to their irrigation systems, measuring devices are installed at the point of diversion, and an agreement is developed that guarantees water saved will remain or return to the stream/river/lake or groundwater and the engineering survey and design work have not been completed by NRCS or outside group.
Medium 4 Improvements to open earth irrigation conveyance systems through lining or pipeline to minimize water losses and seepage.
Low 5 Irrigation improvements where the irrigation water is pumped directly out of a natural surface water source or groundwater.
None 6 Practices that provide a net savings to ground or surface water not associated through irrigation efficiency improvements, that is, pipelines and tanks associated with rural water supply systems, deferred grazing and wetland creation.
None 7 Irrigation improvements where irrigation water is derived from a canal and not directly out of a natural surface water source or ground water.

Ranking Criteria

The FO planner will perform the ranking process in the online ProTracts ranking tool.

Timeline

This SI will utilize applications already received by NRCS prior to the June 1, 2007, application cutoff date. All applications in the G&SW SI will be ranked by November 15, 2007, using the online ProTracts ranking tool. Priorities, ranking scores, and cost estimates will be input into ProTracts by November 15, 2007, as well. The Assistant State Conservationist for Programs will make funding decisions by December 3, 2007, and will subsequently notify the Assistant State Conservationists for Field Operations. Selected preapproved applications will be contracted by December 28, 2007.

Funding

An initial amount of $1.5 million is being tentatively set aside for this effort. Final funding will be based upon the number of eligible applications received as well as the final funding amount received for FY2008 EQIP.

For additional information, please contact your Area Resource Conservationist. Area Resource Conservationists may contact Carrie Mosley, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, at (406) 587-6967; or Erik Suffridge, EQIP Program Specialist, at (406) 587-6849.

/s/

JEFF BURWELL
Acting State Conservationist

Attachment

Contacts

Kris Berg, Program Specialist
Phone: 406-587-6849
Email: Kris.Berg

Carrie Mosley, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
Phone: 406-587-6967
Email: Carrie.Mosley

Last Modified: 10/09/2008

< Back to Montana 2008 EQIP Application Information