Wisconsin NRCS Programs
Complying with a
Conservation Plan
Program Highlight
The
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP)
provides technical and
financial help to land
owners to implement
conservation practices that
protect soil and water
quality.
Practices such as grassed
waterways, stream fencing,
critical area planting,
terraces, manure management
systems including storage
structures and barnyard
runoff protection, help
protect the nations' water
waterways, including the
Upper Mississippi River.
Find out
more.
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In order to participate in
USDA farm programs, Federal
law requires that all persons
that produce agriculture
commodities must protect their highly erodible
cropland from excessive
erosion. In addition,
anyone participating in USDA
farm programs must certify that
they have not produced crops on
converted wetlands and did not
convert a wetland.
Find out
more about Conservation
Compliance.
The CCPI provides funding for
eligible partner organizations
through grant agreements
focusing on the priorities of
the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program or the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program.
More
on CCPI.
The CSP
will help owners and operators
of agricultural lands maintain
conservation stewardship and
implement and maintain
additional needed conservation
practices. The conservation
benefits gained will keep farms
and ranches more sustainable and
profitable and increase the
benefits provided to all
Americans through improved
natural resources. Find out more about the
Conservation Stewardship
Program.
Through Conservation
Technical Assistance, NRCS assists landowners
and land users,
communities, units of state
and local government, Tribes, and
other Federal agencies in
planning and implementing
conservation systems.
Find out
more about CTA and how NRCS
can offer you technical
assistance.
Conservation
Reserve
Program
(CRP)
CRP can
reduce
erosion,
increase
wildlife
habitat,
improve
water
quality,
and
increase
forestland.
Landowners
sets
aside
cropland
with
annual
rental
payments
based
on
amount
bid. Tree planting, wildlife
ponds, grass cover, and other
environmental practices are
eligible practices.
Eligibility varies
by
soil
type
and
crop
history.
Land
is
accepted
into
program
if
bid
qualifies.
Continuous
signup
open
for
buffers,
waterways
and
environmental
practices.
Periodic
signups
announced
throughout
the
year
for
other
practices.
The contract period is
10
years,
15
years
if
planting
hardwood
trees. It is transferable
with
change
in
ownership. Public
Access is not
required.
Find out
more about the Conservation
Reserve Program.
Environmental
Quality
Incentives
Program (EQIP)
EQIP
provides
technical
and
financial
help
to
landowners
for
conservation
practices
that
protect
soil
and
water
quality.
Grassed waterways, stream
fencing, critical area
planting, terraces, manure
management systems including
storage structures and
barnyard runoff protection,
and many other conservation
practices are eligible for
EQIP. Agricultural
producers
on
agricultural
land
are
eligible.
Projects
are
selected
based
on
environmental
value.
Contracts run for
1-10
years.
Ag
producers
may
be
eligible
for
financial assistance,
up
to
$300,000
for the life
of
Farm BIll. Public
Access is not
required. Contact
your local NRCS office, or the local Land
Conservation Department.
Find out more about the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program.
Farm and Ranch Lands
Protection
Program
The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection
Program (FRPP) helps
farmers
keep
productive land
in
agriculture. The
Program provides matching
funds to
State,
Tribal, non-profit, or local
government entities with
existing programs that protect
farmland through the purchase
of conservation easements or
development rights.
Individual
landowners
participate
voluntarily
and
retain
all
rights
to
use
the
property
for
agriculture. Projects
are
selected
through
a
competitive
application
process.
Eligible land includes
privately owned working
farms with productive soils
that have a pending offer
for purchase of development
rights from an eligible
entity. Location,
size, and existing
protections, such as zoning,
must support long-term
agricultural use. In
Wisconsin, easements
must
be
permanent.
Local programs are
reimbursed up to 50% of the
cost of the easement. Public
Access is not required.
More FRPP
information.
Farmland
Protection
Policy Act
The FPPA provides
information on the prime and
important farmland impacts of
projects that use federal
funds or technical assistance.
Entities
planning
projects
that
may
irreversibly
convert
prime
or
important
farmland
to
non-agricultural
use,
submit
form
AD-1006
during
the
planning
stage. NRCS
evaluates
the
impact
of
the
project
alternatives
on
prime
and
important
farmland
conversion
and
provides
information
to
be
used
during
the
planning
process.
More FPPA information.
Forestry
Programs
Forestry programs
provide
cost-sharing
for
forestry
practices. Practices eligible
include tree
planting,
site
preparation
for
natural
regeneration,
timber
stand
improvement,
etc.
Eligible landowners
with
10
or
more
acres. They must agree
to
maintain
practices
for
estimated
life
span.
A
management
plan
is
required. Public
Access is not
required. Contact
NRCS on Forestry, or the
Wisconsin
Dept
of
Natural
Resources.
Grasslands Reserve Program
When properly managed,
grasslands can result in
cleaner, healthier streams, and
reduced sediment loads in water
bodies. These lands are vital
for the production of livestock
forage and provide forage and
habitat for maintaining healthy
wildlife populations. They also add to the beauty of
the landscape, provide scenic
vistas and open space, provide
for recreational activities and
protect the soil from water and
wind erosion.
Find out
more about GRP.
Grazing Lands Conservation
Initiative
The Grazing Lands
Conservation Initiative is
intended to
provide
technical,
educational
and
other
help
to
conserve
and
improve
privately
owned
grazing
and
pasture
lands. Intended practices
include prescribed
grazing,
animal
trails
and
walkways,
and fencing.
Learn
more about how NRCS can
provide grazing assistance
to you.
To improve the health of the Great Lakes, NRCS is providing financial and
technical resources to 8 states to improve water quality in the region.
Through this Initiative, NRCS will focus on helping farmers implement conservation practices that
reduce erosion, improve water quality, and maintain agricultural productivity in
selected watersheds. More Wisconsin GLRI information.
To improve the health of the Mississippi River Basin, including water
quality and wildlife habitat, the Natural Resources Conservation Service
established the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI).
Through this new Initiative, NRCS and its partners will help producers in
selected watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin voluntarily implement
conservation practices that avoid, control, and trap nutrient runoff; improve
wildlife habitat; and maintain agricultural productivity. National MRBI
information. Wisconsin MRBI information.
The USDA's National Water Quality Initiative
is committed to improving impaired waterways throughout the nation. Three
watersheds have been selected in Wisconsin. NRCS will help farmers and forest
landowners in the selected watersheds to begin needed conservation practices to
reduce sediment and nutrients entering the waterway.
NWQI in Wisconsin
Plants & Plant Resources
NRCS develops many plant
materials and plant technologies
that helps farmers, land owners,
and land users conserve the
nation's resources. We
also have a variety of general
and specific information on
seeding, planting,
identification, bioengineering,
and reference material.
You can look up information in
the
PLANTS database. You
can also learn about plants and
get fact sheets from the
Plant Materials Program.
Stewardship
Incentive
Program
(SIP)
SIP can
provide
cost-sharing
to
protect,
manage,
and
enhance
forest
resources
while
meeting
landowner
objectives. Forestry
management
plan,
tree
plantings,
fish
habitat
improvement,
recreational protection
and enhancement, and
wildlife habitat
improvement, soil and water
protection, shelter belts,
threatened and endangered
species, and wetland
creation and restoration are
eligible practices.
Eligible applicants include
private
landowner
with
10
to
1,000
acres
of
woodland.
A
10-year
commitment
to
maintain
and
protect
SIP
funded
practices
is
required. Public
Access is not
required. Contact the
Farm
Service
Agency,
Wisconsin
Dept
of
Natural
Resources,
or your
county
Land
Conservation
Department.
Technical Service Providers
Wisconsin's Technical Service Provider (TSP) program is intended to help professionals
interested in providing technical assistance to landowners and farmers
under one of the 2002 Farm Bill conservation programs.
Find out
more about how to become a TSP
or use a TSP.
The Emergency Watershed
Protection (EWP) Program is
intended to take emergency
measures to safeguard lives and
property after a natural
occurrence has caused a sudden
impairment of the watershed.
More
about the Emergency Watershed
Protection Program.
Through EWP, NRCS may purchase
easements on any floodplain
lands that have a history of
repeated flooding. More
about EWP
Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE).
The Watershed Protection and
Flood Prevention Programs assist
governments and participants to
protect and restore watershed
from damage caused by erosion,
floodwater, and sediment, to
conserve and develop water and
land resources, and solve
natural resource and related
economic problems on a watershed
basis.
More
about the Watershed Protection
and Flood Prevention Programs.
As part of Watershed
Rehabilitation, many Wisconsin
dams that protect agricultural
lands and communities need
repairs. The program helps
communities and participants
repair and rehabilitate these
dams.
More
about Watershed Rehabilitation.
Rapid Watershed Assessment
is a new initiative by NRCS to
provide data analysis and maps
to help determine what
conservation investments would
best address watershed resource
concerns. These assessments help
landowners and local leaders set
priorities and determine the
best actions to achieve their
goals.
Wetlands
Reserve Program (WRP)
The WRP is to
restore
wetlands
previously
altered
for
agricultural
use. Eligible land
is land which
has
been
owned
for
one
year
and
can
be
restored
to
wetland
conditions.
Landowners
may
restore
wetlands
with
permanent
or
30-year
easements
or
10-year
contracts.
Permanent
easements
pay
100%
of
the
agricultural
value
of
the
land
and
100%
cost-sharing;
30-year
easements
pay
75%
of
the
agricultural
value
and
75%
cost-sharing;
10-year
contract
pays
75%
cost-share
only.
Permanent
or
30-year
easements
recorded
with
property
deed.
10-year
contract
is
not
recorded
with
deed. Public
Access is not
required.
Find out
more about the Wetlands
Reserve Program.
Wildlife
Habitat
Incentive
Program
(WHIP)
WHIP can develop or improve
wildlife habitat on privately
owned land through
installation of in-stream
structures, restoring prairies
and oak savannas, providing
brush management and control
of invasive species. Almost
any type of land is eligible,
including ag and non-ag lands. WHIP provides funding to
assist with restoration
costs. Public
access is not
required.
Find out
more about the Wildlife
Habitat Incentive Program.
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