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2008 EQIP Special Initiatives Information

In Montana, NRCS offers Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) initiatives that are designed specifically to address natural resource concerns that may not be addressed in other EQIP opportunities or that have such a critical need that a separate funding opportunity is warranted. Annually, NRCS offers two such opportunities; one for AFO/CAFO applications and one for Tribal Allocation applications. In 2008, NRCS offered additional initiatives as outlined in the table below.

Eligible cost-share practices for each initiative are selected from the statewide list; however, not all EQIP practices are available in all initiatives.

For more information, see the table below or contact one of the persons listed at the bottom of this page. When reviewing this table it is important to remember that EQIP is a cost-share program. Therefore, the funds listed below represent only 50 to 75 percent of the total cost of each of the efforts. This means that these funds were leveraged with producer or other funding sources. To see how NRCS calculates cost-share information refer to the How EQIP Works in Montana webpage.

2008 EQIP Special Initiatives
2008 EQIP Special Initiative (SI) Initiative Information
Flathead Lake Orchards The purpose of this SI is to improve pest, nutrient, and water management and reduce human-predator conflict opportunities in orchards and fruit production areas surrounding Flathead Lake. NRCS obligated over $214,000 towards this effort.
Forestry This Special Initiative is offered to assist forest landowners in Lewis and Clark, Meagher, Musselshell, Powell, Granite, Ravalli, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Silver Bow, Beaverhead and Madison Counties promote forest health through pre-commercial thinning and forest slash treatment. This opportunity is also available on the Flathead Reservation.

Priority is given to participants who have an approved Forest Management Plan or Forest Stewardship Plan at the time of application. However, a plan is not required for application. Applicable practices include Forest Stand Improvement, Forest Slash Treatment, Forest Harvest Trails and Landings, Pest Management, Use Exclusion, Tree/Shrub Establishment, Fuel Break and Access Roads.

Signup for this Special Initiative is from July 28 – August 8, 2008. Applicants must apply at their local USDA Service Center in the counties listed above.
Ground & Surface Water The Ground & Surface Water (G&SW) provision of EQIP expired at the end of fiscal year 2007. NRCS in Montana seeing a need for these funds established this SI to be identical to the normal G&SW allocation to cover that gap. The G&SW provision of EQIP was later funded, but this SI had already been implemented and contracts written. Reference the G&SW webpage for information on G&SW provisions of EQIP or the G&SW SI policy webpage for more information on this SI. NRCS obligated over $2.7 million towards this effort.
Headwaters Noxious Weeds The objectives of this SI are to: identify areas with weed problems and gather consensus agreements with all landusers; identify weeds and extents of each in the selected areas; develop strategies to eradicate, control, and mange weeds and associated costs; and, develop monitoring strategies to assure objectives are accomplished. NRCS obligated over $1.80 million towards this effort.
Miles City Area Irrigated Cropland Reduced Tillage The goals of this SI are to: reduce soil erosion from wind and water by converting to conservation tillage; conserve soil moisture by adopting conservation tillage to reduce tillage operations that typically deplete soil moisture; and, reduce the risk of failure by implementing more effective methods of growing crops on irrigated cropland. NRCS obligated over $247,000 towards this effort.
Miles City Area No-Till The goals of this SI are to reduce non-point source pollution, soil erosion, unacceptable amounts of sediment, and improve soil quality through the conversion of conventional crop-fallow tillage systems to no-till/strip till for 3 years. Objectives include a reduction in the Soil Tillage Intensity Rating (STIR) to less than 30 and erosion to tolerance (T) or less. NRCS obligated over $203,000 towards this effort.
Miles City Area Precision Ag The purpose of this SI is to encourage area crop producers to implement precision agricultural methods into their farming systems. NRCS obligated over $355,000 towards this effort.
Russian Olive/Salt Cedar Special Initiative The Russian Olive/Salt Cedar Special Initiative is an opportunity for agricultural producers who are faced with infestations of these species in their riparian areas, to receive assistance for control. This opportunity is available in Wheatland, Stillwater, Carbon, Big Horn, Yellowstone, Musselshell, Golden Valley, Powder River, Treasure, Rosebud, Custer, Prairie, Valley, and Roosevelt counties as well as the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Peck Reservations.

This effort is an attempt to eradicate or control Salt Cedar and Russian Olive in riparian areas along Montana’s river systems. Practices available for cost share assistance include Brush Management, Critical Area Planting, Fence, Pasture and Hayland Planting, Pipeline, Pest Management, Prescribed Grazing, Range Planting, Riparian Forest Buffer, Riparian Herbaceous Cover, Tree/Shrub Establishment, Watering Facilities, Water Well and Windbreak/Shelterbelt. Priority will be given to producers who are willing to address all areas of infestation within riparian areas.

Signup for this Special Initiative is from July 28 – August 8, 2008. Applicants must apply at their local USDA Service Center in the counties listed above.
Wildfires The purpose of this initiative is to provide assistance to producers who want to restore their grazing lands. The primary emphasis of the initiative is to compensate producers for deferring all livestock grazing from the burned grazing lands until October 1, 2008, through the issuance of an $11.00 per acre incentive payment. This deferral will allow the vegetation on the grazing lands to grow through a full growing season and then to go to seed. Within the deferred grazing payment NRCS has also included funds to partially compensate producers for fences and watering facilities that were destroyed in the wildfire. Producers who are awarded an EQIP contract through the wildfire initiative incentive payment are not eligible to receive any other EQIP payment for fences, watering facilities, or prescribed grazing on the wildfire contracted acres. More information is available on the Wildfire SI policy webpage. NRCS obligated over $244,000 towards this effort.

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

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