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Pickens County 2008 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 2008 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 NRCS-CPA-1200 application form and appendix. Submit forms in person, by phone or letter to NRCS, or the Pickens County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) 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.  Contact is District Conservationist Terry Williamson.

The county’s resource concerns in priority order are:

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

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 program payment assistance than those applications with lower points. In the event that a tie occurs on ranking an application, the application that was submitted with the lowest estimated contract cost will be ranked higher.

The cut-off date for the first ranking of applications is October 26, 2007. If all monies are not obligated with the first ranking, then subsequent ranking will be held as needed.

Pickens County will use the Alabama NRCS state approved EQIP Practice and Payment Schedule. Please refer to this list for practices, payment rates and restrictions. Limited Resource Farmers will be paid at an increased payment rate.  Maximum limits have been established for an individual to receive program payments on the following practices:

  • Residue Management -  no-till, ridge till, mulch till, strip till – 100.0 acres
  • Pest Management – 100.0 acres
  • Pasture and Hay Land Planting – 100.0 acres
  • Tree/Shrub Establishment – 150.0 acres
  • Fencing – 10,560 linear feet

Beginning farmers and ranchers that meet qualifying criteria will receive an increase of points in their total ranking score. Self certification is required.

Limited resource farmers that meet qualifying criteria will receive a program payment increase on eligible practices. Self certification is required.

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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