Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Helps Georgia's Farmers and Landowners

 For Immediate Release

ATHENS, December 23, 2008—USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist James E. Tillman, Sr., announced today that in 2008, 1,560 Georgia Farmers benefited from $18.5 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds.

 “This has been a good year for Georgia’s farmers and landowners in respect to conservation.  They have gone the extra mile in helping the Georgia NRCS put conservation on the land,” said Tillman.

 “EQIP has been so successful in Georgia due to the NRCS field staff providing technical assistance on an individual basis to the farmers.  The NRCS field technicians and conservationists actively work with producers (farmers) to solve resource problems on their land, while also handling all necessary paperwork.  The results are EQIP projects being applied on the ground that both improve and protect our soil and water resources,” said Dennis Brown, president of the Georgia Association of Conservation District Supervisors.

 Livestock producers received over 65 percent of the EQIP dollars, with cattle operators utilizing $6.8 million in financial assistance to improve water quality in Georgia. These producers will implement grazing plans that include rotational grazing, alternative watering facilities, fencing and heavy use areas as well as improved pasture plantings.

Water conservation continues to be a primary resource concern in South Georgia as producers sign up to retrofit 434 center pivot irrigation systems from high pressure to low pressure systems. This will reduce water usage by over 20 percent on this system.

 Sub-surface drip irrigation grew in popularity in 2008 with 14 systems being funded. This technology combines the water saving benefits of drip irrigation with the use of Global Positioning Guidance (GPS) systems on a tractor. The drip tape is buried between the rows and the GPS is used to plant cotton or peanuts precisely on the row avoiding the buried drip tape. These systems can reduce water usage by over 40 percent.

 Another EQIP highlight was the special effort made to assist landowners in Southeast Georgia that had lands damaged by wildfires. 

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