Conservation Program Sign Up Deadlines are Earlier This Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information:
Ron Francis,  (801) 524-4557

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced that statewide signups for Farm Bill conservation programs will close January 13, 2006, earlier than in previous years.

By holding signups earlier, farmers will know the results of their conservation program applications when making planting decisions for the coming crop year. The new deadlines will apply to the major NRCS conservation programs – Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA).

“This year we have the flexibility to hold a program signup that will end early in the year,” said Sylvia Gillen, NRCS State Conservationist for Utah. “The Office of Management and Budget provided us with preliminary apportionments for the mandatory Farm Bill programs early in our fiscal year.”

“Our agency is moving toward nationwide standardized deadlines, which should bring some stability to the application process and the expectations of our customers,” said Gillen. She noted that the 2007 cutoff for sign ups will be November 15, 2006, and should remain the same thereafter.

In the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, called EQIP, farmers can apply for cost sharing for many types of farmland conservation practices. For most practices, farmers who are awarded contracts will receive up to 50 percent of the costs of the project.

“EQIP helps active farmers with conservation on working farmland," said Gillen. "A good conservation system on working farmland is the most effective thing we can do to protect our water quality and the health of our soils on private working lands.”

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides technical assistance and cost sharing to establish or improve wildlife habitat on any type of land. Five acres or more are usually required.

The Agricultural Management Assistance Program provides cost-share and incentive payments to producers who apply conservation practices that address such issues as water quality, water management, and erosion control.

All of these programs are competitive. Generally, only the most environmentally beneficial projects are selected for funding. Apply for all programs at the NRCS Office in the USDA Service Center serving your county. For more information, or Service Center locations, check www.ut.nrcs.usda.gov.

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