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Lamar County 2004 EQIP Program


Executive Summary

The local Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) signup for 2004 is open and signup is continuous. If you have a resource concern or problem on pastureland, cropland, hay land, private non-industrial forest land, or other land on your farm, you should come by the Natural Resources Conservation Service office and fill out an application requesting technical and financial assistance. You can file this application in Vernon at the NRCS or Farm Service Agency office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Both offices are located at 145 Columbus Avenue NW off the Courthouse Square. Our telephone number is 205-695-7622 ext. 3 (NRCS) or ext. 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 or other funds become available, then a second ranking will be held 45 days after the first ranking.

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

  1. Water Quality (Animal Waste)

  2. Erosion/Soil Quality

  3. Grazing Lands

All applications will be ranked and approvals based on a State environmental ranking worksheet that will insure that the most environmental benefit is received from the applications approved. Applicants may certify as a Beginning Farmer and receive additional ranking points. A Beginning Farmer is defined as one who has not operated a farm, or who has operated a farm for not more than 10 consecutive years.

Applicants with the highest final ranking point totals generated from the 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 of a tie, higher priority will be given (1st) applications addressing the highest number of resource concerns and (2nd) applications given points for the greatest number of criteria. If a tie still exists, a random drawing will be held.

The Alabama State list of eligible practices and associated restrictions and cost-share rates will be offered in Lamar County. An additional county restriction will be placed on the residue management practice. An applicant can only receive the incentive payment on a maximum of 200 acres.

Cost-share rates generally range from 50 percent to 75 percent of the average cost of the practice.  Management practices such as residue management and pest management are eligible for incentive payments.  Applicants may apply as a Limited Resource Farmer and receive a 90 percent cost-share rate. 

To qualify as a Limited Resource Farmer, the following two characteristics must apply for the last two years: 

  1. a person with direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than $100,000;

  2. a person who has a total household income at or below the county poverty level for a family of four of $18,224.

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 (100 KB)

 

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