NEWS
United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 100
Dover, Delaware 19904
For More Information:
Tim Garrahan, 302/678-4260
Dastina Johnson, 302/678-4179
Delaware Farmers
Encouraged to sign up for assistance through USDA’s Environmental quality
incentives program (EQIP)
Sign-up deadline is October 3,
2008
Dover, DE, June 26, 2008— The USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Delaware is advising farmers interested
in conservation assistance on their farming operations to sign up for the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This program provides
financial and technical assistance to farmers interested in making voluntary
improvements to natural resources on land they own or manage.
“NRCS is currently
crafting the 2008 Farm Bill to make our conservation programs and services,
including EQIP, easier for our farmers and landowners nationwide,” said Russell
Morgan, NRCS State Conservationist. “As we move forward to implement the new
farm bill, we will ensure our conservation practices benefit both the producer’s
bottom line and the quality of air, water and soil for all.”
Under the new farm bill, EQIP places a
priority on water conservation and promotes forest management practices and
energy conservation. In addition, limited resource, socially disadvantaged or
beginning farmers may receive additional financial assistance -- up to 90
percent cost-share. These groups may also be eligible for advance payments to
cover installation costs of conservation improvements.
The new EQIP has a
section geared towards funding for conservation practices that help producers
engaged in, or transitioning to, organic production. It also provides funding
for conservation practices that address air quality concerns from agricultural
operations using innovative technologies.
Statewide, EQIP practices include, but are
not limited to: grassed waterways, waste storage facilities, nutrient
management, pest management, pasture management, tree planting, tree thinning,
poultry windbreaks, strip-cropping, conservation tillage and wildlife habitat
management.
NRCS accepts applications for EQIP
year-round. Funding decisions, however, are made at cutoff points during the
year. This year’s deadline is October 3, 2008. Applications that address local
conservation priorities are evaluated and ranked for funding. The number of
applications approved for funding will be based on ranking and available
funding. Interested parties should contact their local USDA NRCS Service Center
to apply.
For more information about EQIP, please visit
the Delaware NRCS web site at
www.de.nrcs.usda.gov.
Local contact information is also located in the telephone book under the
federal government listing.
#
| 
About Us
Back to Top