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Blount County 2008 EQIP Program

Executive Summary

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Blount County, Alabama, will hold a signup for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2008 Fiscal Year. This signup will be held on a continuous basis. Any eligible land user who has a resource concern or problem on cropland, pastureland, hay land, forestland or wildlife land may apply for assistance through this program.

Applications may be made at the NRCS office of the Blount County USDA Service Center located at 415 5th Avenue East in Oneonta. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The telephone number is 205-274-2363 extension 3. The local contact person is Merry Buford, District Conservationist.

The USDA work group established a ranking of resource concerns to guide the ranking process in Blount County. The ranking is as follows:

  1. Erosion/Soil Quality
  2. Water Quality/Animal Waste
  3. Grazing Lands
  4. Forest Health & Wildlife

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. Irrigation Resource Concern needs will only be funded if funds are made available through the state wide ground and surface water program. Limited resource farmers will receive increased payment rates according to state guidelines.

In the event of a tie between applications, a random drawing will be held at the next Blount County Soil and Water Conservation District Board meeting. The first batching period for ranking and prioritizing applications will be October 26, 2007. Additional batching periods may be set if funds are available.

The Blount County workgroup approved the use of the conservation practices and cost-share rates in the Alabama NRCS state approved EQIP Practice and Payment Schedule with the  following exceptions:

  • There will be a 50 acre limit on the 329-Residue Management practice.
  • There will be a 100 acre limit on 512-Pasture Planting.
  • It will be a requirement in Blount County that all ponds funded under the 2008 EQIP Program will be fenced out and have either a gravity fed water trough or a water ramp to provide livestock water.
County Ranking Tool for FY2008 County Allocations

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

 These documents may require Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Excel.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentAlabama EQIP Practice and Payment Schedule 2008
Adobe Acrobat DocumentAppendix 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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