Houston County 2007 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 2007 Fiscal Year. This signup will be held on a continuous basis.

Any eligible landuser with a resource concern or problem on pastureland, cropland, hayland, or forestland 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. Fax number is 334-792-3695. Contact is District Conservationist joseph.wilson@al.usda.gov.

The local work group has identified the following resource concerns as priorities in Houston County:

• Soil Quality/Erosion Control (emphasis on grass planting).
• Grazing Land
• Forest Health and Wildlife       

The first batching period for ranking and prioritizing applications is November 17, 2006.  All applications received prior to the scheduled batching date 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. Unfunded applications will be deferred and funded if 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 2007.  All unfunded applications on hand as of October 1, 2007, will be cancelled.

Each of the following practices is limited to seventy-five acres per participant:

• Conservation tillage, (planting small grain is required)
• Pasture/hay land planting, (existing cropland only)
• Conservation cropping sequence (sod based rotation, existing cropland).
• Tree planting (longleaf pine, hardwood, & wildlife plantings).

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. No cost-share for livestock shade structures.

All cost-share and incentive payment rates are based on the 2007 Alabama NRCS state-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
 

County Ranking Tool for FY2007 County Allocations

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

 These documents may require Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Excel.

Eligible Practices and Cost-share Types and Rates FY07
Appendix to Form NRCS-CPA-1202: Conservation Program Contract (National NRCS-will open in new window)

Conservation Program Application - NRCS-CPA-1200 (39 KB)

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