Houston County 2006 EQIP Program

Executive Summary

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Houston County, Alabama, will hold a signup for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2006 Fiscal Year. This signup will be held on a continuous basis. Any eligible landuser with a resource concern or problem on pastureland, cropland, or hayland may apply for assistance through this program.

Applications can be completed at the Houston County USDA Service Center, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Houston County USDA Service Center is located at 1849 Ross Clark Circle, Dothan, Alabama 36301. The telephone number is 334-793-2310, and the fax number is 334-792-3695. Contact District Conservationist joseph.wilson@al.usda.gov.

The local work group has identified the following resource concerns as priorities in Houston County. The batching date for the concerns listed below is January 6, 2006:

• Soil erosion reduction and soil quality improvement (priority 1)
• Grazing land and grazing system improvement (priority 2)
• Forest Health and Wildlife Concern (priority 3)

The following are state-wide concerns that are available for producers and landowners in Houston County. The first state-wide batching date is January 6, 2006.

1. Special Invasive Plants Management Project
2. Ground and Surface Water Conservation Special Project
3. Special Poultry Litter Distribution Project.
4. Limited Resource Producer
5. Small farmer Initiative

All applications received prior to the scheduled batching dates will be ranked using the NRCS Alabama EQIP Scoring System. Funding will be allocated to the applications that will provide the greatest environmental benefits according to the EQIP scoring system. Conservation plans and contracts will be developed with applicants that receive funding. Applications not funded due to limited funds will be deferred and funded as additional cost-share funds become available.

Any applications filed later than the scheduled batching dates will be deferred and considered for approval in subsequent batching dates if additional funding is received in fiscal year 2006. All deferred applications not funded before the start of fiscal year 2007 on October 1, 2006, will be cancelled with a new continuous sign up ledger beginning October 1, 2006, for fiscal year 2007.  Forest Health and Wildlife Concern is limited to 50 acres of Longleaf pine trees at 500 trees/acre, 50 acres hardwood trees planted at 300 trees/acre. Early successional habitat for cropland is limited to 50 acre.

The following practices will be limited to 50 acres per participant:

• Conservation tillage, (greater than 50 percent residue after planting).
• Pasture/hayland planting, (existing cropland and pasture/hayland only).
• Conservation cropping sequence (sod based rotation, existing cropland).

Cost-share for fencing associated with grazing systems will be limited to 8,000 feet. No cost-share will be available for property boundary fencing.

All cost-share and incentive payment rates are based on the 2006 Alabama state-wide cost list.

Eligible Practices

327 Conservation Cover
328 Conservation Crop Rotation
329A Residue Management, Conservation tillage
340 Cover Crops
342 Critical Area Planting
350 Sediment Basins
362 Diversions
382 Fences
386 Field Border
391A Riparian Forest Buffer
393 Filter Strips
410 Grade Stabilization Structure
412 Grassed Waterways
466 Land smoothing (for terraces)
472 Use Exclusion
512 Pasture and Hayland Planting
516 Pipelines
561 Heavy Use Area Protection
574 Spring Development
600 Terrace
612 Tree & Shrub Establishment
614 Watering Facility
620 Underground Outlets
638 Water and Sediment Control Basin
642 Water Well
647 Early Successional Habitat Development
728 Stream Crossing
638 Water and Sediment Control Basin
 

Additional information is available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.  

  These documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Conservation Program Application - CCC1200 (330 KB)
State Practices and Restrictions (121 KB)
State Cost-Share Rates (115 KB)

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