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Pickens County 2007 EQIP Program

Executive Summary

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Pickens County local work group are announcing the signup for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2007 Fiscal Year. The signup is continuous.

If you have a resource concern and/or problem on grazing land/grassland, cropland, hay land, forest land, or wildlife land on your farm that you need assistance to solve, we may be able to provide both financial and technical assistance to you.

The EQIP program offers a variety of conservation practices to help the farmer and/or landowner with his or her resource concerns. These resource concerns may include the need to reduce erosion, to protect a stream or river, to establish or restore wildlife habitat or to improve the air.

Applicants will complete the CCC-1200 application form and appendix. Submit forms in person, by phone, fax, or letter to NRCS, the Pickens County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), or the USDA-Farm Service Agency located at the Service Center Building, Room 308, Court House Square, Carrollton, Alabama, during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office telephone number is 205-367-8168, extension 3, and the fax number is 205-367-8565.

The county’s resource concerns in priority order are:

  1. Grazing Lands
  2. Water Quality
  3. Forest Health and Wildlife
  4. Soil Quality/Erosion

All applications will be ranked and approvals based on using the state web-based environmental assessment tool. This process is to insure that the most environmental benefit is received for the dollars being expended through the EQIP program. Individuals with the highest point total generated from this worksheet will be ranked higher in consideration to receive cost share assistance than those applications with lower points. In the event that a tie occurs on ranking an application, the application that was submitted with an earlier date will be ranked higher.

The cut-off date for the first ranking of applications is November 17, 2006. If all monies are not obligated with the first ranking, then subsequent ranking will be held as needed.

Pickens County will use the NRCS state list of approved practices and the approved state cost-share percentages for the local signup. A maximum limit of 150 acres has been established for an individual to receive cost-share or incentive payment on the following practices:

  • Residue Management -- no-till, ridge till, mulch till, strip till
  • Pest Management
  • Pasture and Hay Land Planting
  • Tree/Shrub Establishment

Other applicable practice restrictions are exhibited on the NRCS state conservation practice list.
Beginning farmers and ranchers that meet qualifying criteria will receive a 20 percent increase in their total ranking score. Self certification is required.

Limited resource farmers that meet qualifying criteria will receive a 90 percent cost-share rate on eligible practices. No increase on incentive payments. Self certification is required.

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)

Adobe Acrobat DocumentConservation Program Application - NRCS-CPA-1200 (39 KB)

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