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Idaho 2011 Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)
 Congress established the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)
to enhance cooperative conservation on agriculture and nonindustrial private
forest lands. The voluntary initiative provides financial and technical
assistance to landowners that work together to address regional conservation
concerns.
CCPI uses the funds, policies, and processes of NRCS Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
cost-share agreements.
For the Request for Proposal criteria, please read the
Federal Register Notices of Tuesday, March 10, 2009 in Vol. 74, No. 45, Page
10225.
Idaho Specific Information:
Idaho currently has eleven CCPI funded projects. Nine of these
projects are funded under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
and two using Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) funding. They
are as follows:
- CCPI Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (WHIP)
This project focuses on conservation on private lands which
complement conservation objectives found within the Idaho Department of
Fish and Game's Comprehensive Wildlife Managements Strategy, Elk
Management Plan, Mule Deer Initiative. The basis for these plans
is a landscape approach to conserving Idaho's wildlife heritage.
This CCPI seeks to leverage wildlife habitat conservation on private
lands in conjunction with other efforts underway on state and federal
lands. There are three focus areas for this project. They
are: The Owyhee Uplands; The West Central Area and The Boise/Fairfield
Area.
- CCPI Kootenai River Valley Cooperative Habitat Restoration (WHIP)
This initiative is aimed at the large scale ecosystem habitat
restoration in a 55-mile reach of the Kootenai River. The project
proposes to improve both riparian and wetland habitat that has been
altered through agricultural practices. The project is designed to
compliment another effort, the Kootenai River Habitat Restoration
project, which is focused on restoring stream habitat, addressing bank
erosion, reconnecting channels, and creating and enhancing floodplains,
in the same 55-mile river reach. The Kootenai River Valley
Cooperative Habitat Restoration project actions will include bank
restoration, riparian planting, grazing management practices and upland
wildlife habitat enhancements that will significantly contribute to the
overall success of ecosystem-based restoration in the Kootenai River sub
basin.
This initiative encourages producers within the Ashton-Drummond
Nitrate Priority Area to apply nutrients in a manner and amount that
meets the NRCS Standard 590 - Nutrient Management standard on their
croplands by providing financial incentives to do so. The goal of
the project is to reduce groundwater nitrate levels in the area.
The project proposes to show the benefits of applying lime in order to
adjust soil pH levels which in turn show increased plant benefits at
lower nitrogen levels thereby reducing overall input of nitrogen.
- CCPI Egin Bench Cover Crop (EQIP)
This project located on the Egin bench area of Madison County seeks
to demonstrate through on the ground contracts with local farmers the
benefit of planting bio-fumigate cover crops such as winter mustard.
The advantages are the reduction of nematodes, and significant benefits
in reducing wind erosion damages to spring fields and crops.
- CCPI Jump Creek/Succor Creek (EQIP)
Owyhee County will supplement actions initiated by the Owyhee Soil
and Water Conservation District through the Jump Creek and Succor Creek
Water Quality Program for Agriculture, phase I. The project will
provide financial assistance through EQIP contracts for the
implementation of Best Management Practices. Those practices will
include conversion of surface irrigation systems to sprinklers,
increased irrigation water management, filter strips, sediment basins,
fencing, pastures establishment and use exclusion in critical areas.
The project area includes the Jump and Succor Creek watersheds.
- CCPI Lower Payette River/Squaw Creek (EQIP)
This project will supplement current water quality projects on the
Lower Payette River and Squaw Creek in Gem County, Idaho. The goal
in the lower Payette River area is to reduce loading of bacteria,
nutrients and sediment into the waterbody through the installation of
BMP's identified in the TMDL implementation plan. The Squaw Creek
project area will address TMDL concerns of sediment, temperature,
nutrients, habitat, and flow alteration through implementation of
several selected BMPs. These will include an increase in
irrigation water management and the improvement of irrigation systems,
installation of fencing, prescribed grazing and use exclusion to improve
riparian habitat, and the reduction of soil erosion and contaminated
water runoff from animal feeding operations which may reach Squaw Creek.
- CCPI Pilger/Thorn Creek (EQIP)
This project encompasses the Thorn Creek and Preach Creek drainages
of the Big Wood River in Gooding County, Idaho the Little Wood River
between the towns of Richfield and Shoshone in Lincoln County, Idaho.
The goal of the project is to reduce the negative impacts of irrigation
induced erosion is having on these water bodies by increasing irrigation
application efficiencies through conversion from surface to sprinkler
irrigation systems. Increased application efficiency from 35% to
85% efficiency is the goal. Financial assistance through
participation in EQIP contracts will provide the incentive for change.
- CCPI Twin Falls Nitrate Priority Area (EQIP)
The Twin Falls Nitrate Priority Area was recently designated as the
#1 nitrate priority area in the state. The project goal is to
enroll agricultural producers in High Intensity Nutrient Management
(590) and High Intensity Irrigation Water Management (449). Since
these management practices are not widely used in the area, the project
will serve as a demonstration to show agricultural producers the
benefits of nutrient management and irrigation water management.
These benefits include, but are not limited to: decreased field runoff,
decreased nitrate leaching into the groundwater, greater efficiency in
water usage, more efficient application of nutrients, and higher crop
yields.
-
CCPI Cassian/Minidoka Nutrient and
Irrigation Water Management Project (EQIP)
This project will assist the agricultural community in addressing the
problem of elevated nitrates in the ground water within the Cassia and
Minidoka Nitrate Priority Areas. The project will assist this
group in meeting the targets of the Lake Walcott TMDL by reducing
phosphorous discharge into ditches, canals, and ultimately the Milner
Pool of the Snake River. Farmers will be offered financial
assistance to implement High Intensity Nutrient Management (590) and
High Intensity Irrigation Water Management (449). In addition they
will be encouraged to use variable rate application of fertilizers.
-
CCPI Jefferson Co. Irrigation Efficiency
Project (EQIP)
Approximately 4300 acres of the project area has never been treated
using modern laser land leveling technology. This project will
offer financial assistance to apply laser leveling to these fields as
well as fields which have not been laser leveled for over 20 years.
Irrigation efficiencies on the average, prior to laser land leveling are
between 10% - 30% after laser land leveling irrigation efficiency
increases to 40% - 60% resulting in a net increase of 30% average.
NRCS Practices 590 Nutrient Management and 449 Irrigation Water
Management will be required as a suite of practices with all contracts
including Irrigation Land Leveling.
-
CCPI Rexburg Bench Energy Conservation
Project (EQIP)
The Rexburg Bench is a unique irrigated agricultural area. On
average this area uses 40,400 K W/year, which equates to 58,288,000 Kwh/year.
This translates to an average power cost for the area of $2,331,520.00.
The typical irrigation system includes three or four 130 acre center
pivots along with hand lines on the corners. The wells range from
300 ft. up to 2,300 ft. deep and the pumps range from 300 to 1000
horsepower. These systems limit the producer in crop rotation and
irrigation scheduling as well as incurring high energy costs. The
end result is limited irrigation water management. A Variable
Frequency Drive (VFD) attached to their pumps will enable producers to
slow the pump's revolutions and match the system's water output to the
crop needs. The expected benefits include an average energy
reduction of 8% (47,935 KWH) per system for a savings of $3,253.75 and a
10% reduction of ground water withdrawals.
Payment Schedules for CCPI Contracts in 2011:
Ranking Criteria for 2011:
Idaho CCPI Contact
Idaho CCPI Program Manager:
Ron Brooks
Phone: (208) 378-5724
Email:
Ron.Brooks@id.usda.gov Last Modified:
02/09/2012 < Back to Programs | |
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