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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Livestock Emphasis Action Plan
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Livestock
Emphasis Action Plan (3.37 MB) Updated 8/11/05
Historically, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has worked
with all sectors of the animal agriculture industry, including grazing and
animal feeding operations (AFO). For a number of reasons, however, NRCS
assistance has varied from State to State and from animal sector to animal
sector. But with the significant amount of concentration in most animal sectors,
especially in swine and poultry, there have been increasing demands by the
animal industry, environmental regulators, the public, and Congress for NRCS to
provide increasing assistance, both technically and financially, to AFOs.
Congress recognized the mounting pressures in agriculture, animal agriculture
specifically, and authorized new authorities and historic increases in funding
through the 2002 Farm Bill. In the 2002 Farm Bill Managers’ Report, Congress
articulated that the…Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a
valuable tool to help producers avoid the need for future regulation, and the
Secretary shall manage the program to maximize this purpose. While much of the
focus was on the anticipated delivery of new regulations affecting confined
animal production, the Managers also pointed to opportunities in grass-based
systems to…encourage the use of grazing systems, such as year-round, rotational
or managed grazing systems, that enhance productive livestock operations.
With regard to regulatory challenges, EQIP has two objectives. The first is to
help producers comply with local, State, and Federal regulatory requirements.
The second is to help producers address natural resource concerns in a manner
that makes regulatory action unnecessary.
NRCS employees at all levels must embrace these two objectives for EQIP as well
as providing ongoing technical assistance through the Conservation Technical
Assistance Program. Animal agriculture is directly tied to soil, air, and water
quality and NRCS sees direct conservation assistance to this sector as a
critical part of its mission.
BRUCE I. KNIGHT
Chief
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The 2002 Farm Bill directed a significant amount of Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) resources at animal agriculture operations,
including 60 percent of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding.
In order to reach this goal, NRCS has developed the National Animal Agriculture
Conservation Framework (December 2003). This National Framework is built from
State and Basin Area efforts and presents a vision for voluntary, proactive
efforts to foster environmentally sound and economically viable livestock and
poultry production. It envisions collaboration among Federal, State, tribal, and
local governments; producers; the public; and the private sector to bring the
initiative, resources, and commitment to support environmental stewardship in
animal agriculture.
Recently, NRCS has identified 22 action items to place emphasis within EQIP on
meeting livestock and poultry producers’ natural resource conservation and
environmental protection goals. These 22 action items have been grouped into
five broad categories.
I. Determining Opportunities
Action No. |
Action |
Target Date |
Status |
1 |
Conduct analysis of FY 2003 contracts associated with
livestock and inform State Conservationists for their consideration in the
management of EQIP. |
5/2004 |
Complete |
7 |
Encourage State Conservationists to invite livestock and
poultry organizations to participate on State Technical Committees and local
work groups. |
7/2004 |
In Progress |
21 |
Discuss with Regional and State Conservationists the
concerns expressed by livestock organizations about the barriers to
participation in EQIP. |
7/2004 |
In Progress |
22 |
Encourage State Conservationists to ask all livestock and
poultry interest groups for feedback to State Management Teams concerning
implementation of this action plan. |
7/2004 |
In Progress |
6 |
Develop tools to collect and disseminate resource concern
and species information on unfunded and active EQIP contracts. |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
8 |
Learn the concerns of livestock and poultry producers and
communicate those concerns to State Conservationists. |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
II. EQIP Ranking Criteria
Action No. |
Action |
Target Date |
Status |
2 |
Develop and share innovative approaches used by States to
more effectively meet livestock operations conservation needs by querying
states for ideas and disseminating examples by national bulletin. |
8/2004 |
In Progress |
5 |
Assess EQIP application ranking criteria and systems used
nationwide and disseminate examples by national bulletin. |
8/2004 |
In Progress |
9 |
Encourage States to evaluate EQIP ranking criteria for air
and water quality concerns to ensure that all national priorities are being
considered. Reemphasize that the criteria should be size neutral,
cost-effective, environmentally sound, and clear. |
7/2004 |
In Progress |
13 |
Determine whether local priorities and ranking criteria are
consistent with State and national program priorities. |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
III. Information and Training
Action No. |
Action |
Target Date |
Status |
12 |
Incorporate livestock and poultry training experiences in
NRCS “Boot Camp” training for new field personnel. Develop opportunities for
on-farm experiences, e.g. “Walk a Mile in My Boots,” for field personnel.
|
10/2004 |
In Progress |
14 |
Support three regional “Watershed Working Lands Summits” in
St. Louis, MO (June 22-24, 2004); Sacramento, CA (October 18-20, 2004), and
Richmond, VA (November. 6-8, 2004) |
11/2004 |
In Progress |
11 |
Develop and implement an electronic animal science training
course to help NRCS personnel develop a better understanding of livestock
production practices. |
7/2005 |
In progress |
IV. Policy & Guidance
Action No. |
Action |
Target Date |
Status |
4 |
Develop policy guidance to address potential concerns where cost-sharing
is provided for portable equipment; revise EQIP Manual. |
5/2004 |
Complete |
3 |
Inform State Conservationists via memorandum that the revised EQIP
Manual will provide them authority, with proper controls and accountability,
to make selected portable equipment for manure handling and application
eligible for cost-share assistance. |
6/2004 |
Complete |
10 |
Provide livestock and poultry organizations with current policy on case
file confidentiality. Provide notification when a proposed confidentiality
rule becomes open to public comment. |
6/2004 |
Complete |
17 |
Clarify EQIP policy for cooperative contracts by national bulletin. |
6/2004 |
Complete |
V. Working with Organizations
Action No. |
Action |
Target Date |
Status |
15 |
Offer to speak at national livestock and poultry organizations’ annual
meetings to explain EQIP and answer questions. Include information on
cooperative contracts. |
6/2004 |
Complete |
16 |
Inform producers about cooperative contracts under EQIP to address
conservation needs involving multiple farms by submitting articles to
national livestock and poultry organizations. |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
18 |
Continue collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency to help
livestock and poultry producers meet concentrated animal feeding operation
regulatory requirements. Expand collaboration to include the Association of
State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators (ASIWPCA) and
the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
20 |
Develop a guide that would convey the purpose, role, and operation of
State Technical Committees, as well as how to participate. Work with
livestock and poultry organizations to disseminate to their members. |
9/2004 |
In Progress |
19 |
Implement the NRCS National Animal Agriculture Conservation Framework (NAACF). |
Ongoing |
In Progress |
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