Winston County 2006 EQIP Program

Executive Summary

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) serving Winston County, Alabama, is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2005 fiscal year. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis. Any eligible landuser who has a resource concern or problem on pastureland, hayland, cropland, or other eligible agricultural land may apply for assistance through this program.

Applications may be made at the Marion/Winston USDA Service Center located at 285 Laurel Lane in Hamilton. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The telephone number is (205) 921-3103, extension 3, and the office fax number is (205) 921-2008. The contact person is Lawayne Robinson, District Conservationist.

Applications and program information may also be obtained at the Winston County Soil and Water Conservation District office in the Courthouse Annex in Double Springs.

County resource concerns have been discussed and identified by the local USDA work group. Resource concerns will be given equal consideration. Concerns to be considered are: Water Quality (Animal Waste), Grazing Lands, Erosion/Soil Quality, Forest Health/Wildlife, Water Conservation.

All applications will be ranked using an environmental benefits worksheet. Approvals will be given to those applications that will provide the greatest environmental benefits, i.e. those receiving the most environmental points. Contracts will be developed for approved applications in order of descending environmental points, until all funds are obligated. If applications are tied in environmental points, the least costly application will be funded first.  If applications are still tied, the tie will be broken by a random drawing at a called meeting of the USDA work group.

The first batching period for ranking and prioritizing applications will end January 6, 2006. Additional batching periods will be used, if funds remain available. Any applications filed after a batching date will be considered in the next pool of funding. If funds remain after all eligible applications for the county concerns are funded, unfunded applications for statewide concerns will be funded.   The concerns have been prioritized as:

1. Water Quality (animal waste)

2. Grazing

3. Forest Health/Wildlife

4. Erosion/Soil Quality

5  Water Conservation

The NRCS state approved list of eligible practices and cost-share rates will be used in Winston County. Planned conservation practices used to address the priority resource concerns will come from that list.

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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