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Butler County 2004 EQIP Program


Executive Summary

The local Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) signup for 2004 is open and signup is continuous. EQIP is a voluntary program that provides assistance to farmers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Persons engaged in livestock or agricultural production are eligible for the program. If you have a resource concern or problem on pastureland, cropland, or hayland on your farm that you need assistance to solve, you may fill out an application for cost share. You can file this application at the USDA Service Center in Greenville in the Natural Resources Conservation Service office or the Farm Service Agency office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Service Center is located at 320-C and 320-B Greenville Bypass and our telephone number  is 334-382-8538 extension 3 (NRCS) or extension 2 (FSA).  All applications received through April 16, 2004, will be ranked in the first batching period. If all monies are not obligated with the first ranking then a second ranking will be held 30 days after the first ranking.

The local resource concerns that have been selected in Butler County in order of priority are:

  1. Water Quality (Animal Waste)

  2. Grazing Lands

  3. Erosion/Soil Quality

All applications will be ranked and approvals made based on the State environmental ranking worksheet.

Applicants may certify as a Beginning Farmer and receive additional ranking points. The Beginning Farmer has not operated a farm or has operated a farm for not more than 10 consecutive years. This requirement applies to all members of an entity. The Beginning Farmer will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm. Total ranking points of applicants who certify as a Beginning Farmer are multiplied by 1.2 to calculate the final total ranking points.

Individuals with the highest final total ranking points generated from this State worksheet and the beginning farmer factor, if applicable, will be ranked higher in consideration to receive cost share assistance than those individuals with lower points. In the event individuals have the same number of points, higher priority will be given 

(1st) applications addressing the highest number of resource concerns 
(2nd) applications given points for the greatest number of criteria 
(3rd) applications treating fields containing perennial or intermittent streams 
(4th) applications treating fields with the closest perennial/intermittent streams or wetlands.

Please refer to the state list for practices, cost-share rates, and restrictions.

Applicants who meet both of the following characteristics may certify as a Limited Resource Farmer and receive a 90 percent cost-share rate.

  • In each of the last two years, your direct or indirect Gross Farm Sales was less than or equal to $102,400.

  • In each of the last two years, your Total Household Income was less than the Butler “County Value” of $18,224.

Note: Applicants that certify as a Limited Resource Farmer or Beginning Farmer will provide all records necessary to justify their claim as requested by a CCC representative. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide accurate data. False certifications are subject to criminal and civil fraud statutes.

Applications may also be taken on-line at: http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov. Additional information is available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.  

 These documents require Adobe Acrobat.
Adobe Acrobat DocumentConservation Program Application - CCC1200 (330 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentState Ranking Tool (76 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentState Practices, Cost-Share Rates, and Restrictions (130 KB)

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