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U.S. programs Ag/environmental
From: Joseph Makuch, INTERNET:jmakuch@nal.usda.gov
To: Patricia Dines, 73652,1202
To: enviro-news@nal.usda.gov
Date: Fri, Oct 11, 1996, 1:47 PM
Subject: EQIP
> Release No. 0558.96
>
> Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623
> Diana Morse (202) 720-4772
>
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW VOLUNTARY PROGRAM TO PROTECT SOIL AND WATER
>
> WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 1996--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
> announced proposed rules for a new conservation program to both assist farmers
> and ranchers and to streamline USDA's conservation services.
>
> "The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) continues the Clinton Administration's commitment to bring to the nation's family farmers and
> ranchers the voluntary conservation programs they need to improve the quality of natural resources on their land and in their communities," Glickman said.
>
> EQIP offers technical, financial, and educational assistance to protect
> and improve soil, water, and related natural resources. USDA is seeking public comment on these rules before finalizing the program. A series of public
> meetings will be held October 11-21 in all 50 states and Guam to discuss the
> EQIP program, changes to the Conservation Reserve Program and other conservation programs. EQIP is available for public comment through November 25.
>
> "From the outset, USDA has sought public input to ensure we craft the most flexible and successful conservation program to meet the needs of communities across the country," said Glickman. "I want to encourage farmers and ranchers, conservation districts, interested groups and anyone concerned about the protection of natural resources to take this opportunity to comment on the proposed rules. We want to ensure we begin with the best program possible that benefits everyone."
>
> EQIP continues USDA's commitment to streamlining and improving its
> conservation services. Four conservation programs have been combined in EQIP:
> the Agricultural Conservation Program, Water Quality Incentives Program, Great
> Plains Conservation Program, and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
> Program.
>
> In acccordance with the 1996 Farm Bill, USDA may provide cost share
> assistance for up to 75 percent of the costs of certain conservation practices
> on family-sized farms and ranches, such as grassed waterways, filter strips,
> manure management facilities, capping abandoned wells and wildlife habitat
> enhancement. Large confined livestock operations are not eligible for cost-share assistance to build animal waste management facilities.
Incentive payments can be up to 100 percent of the producer's cost, for up to three years, for such land management practices as nutrient, manure, irrigation water, wildlife and integrated pest management. Total cost-share and incentive
> payments are limited to $10,000 per person per year and $50,000 for the length
> of a contract.
>
> Greater emphasis will be given to areas where state or local governments
> can share in the cost of projects and where conservation improvements will help meet water quality and other environmental objectives.
>
> Eligibility for EQIP is limited to persons who are engaged in livestock or agricultural production. Under the proposed rule, EQIP offers five- to 10-year contracts that provide incentive payments and cost-sharing for conservation
> practices important to improving and maintaining the health of natural
> resources.
>
> The 1996 Farm Bill directs the Secretary to provide EQIP assistance to
> address critical soil and water needs in priority areas across the country. The rule announced today establishes a locally-led process designed to identify
> these priority areas.
>
> "EQIP provides a great opportunity for local people to lead conservation
> efforts in their own communities," said Paul W. Johnson, chief of the Natural
> Resources Conservation Service that administers the program."
>
> The budget for EQIP is authorized at $200 million per year through 2002.
> Nationally, one-half of the funds are targeted to livestock-related natural
> resource needs and the remainder to crop-production-related needs.
>
> #
>
> NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the
> Internet. Access the USDA homepage on the World Wide Web at
> http://www.usda.gov. Information on the 1996 Farm Bill conservation
> programs can be found on http:www.nrcs.usda.gov.
http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/1996/10/0558
===
From: Joseph Makuch, INTERNET:jmakuch@nal.usda.gov
To: Patricia Dines, 73652,1202
To: enviro-news@nal.usda.gov
Date: Fri, Oct 11, 1996, 1:47 PM
Subject: EQIP Q&A
> Release No. 0559.96
>
> Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
> Questions and Answers
> October 11, 1996
>
> Q. What is EQIP?
> A. EQIP is a new program under the 1996 Farm Bill that provides technical,
> financial, and educational assistance to farmers and ranchers to address
> significant natural resource concerns and objectives. EQIP replaces four
> previous programs: the Agricultural Conservation Program, Water Quality
> Incentives Program, Great Plains Conservation Program, and the Colorado River
> Basin Salinity Control Program.
>
> Q. Where is EQIP available?
> A. In accordance with the 1996 Farm Bill, the program is available
> primarily in priority areas where there are significant natural resource
> needs and objectives. These priority areas are determined by a process that
> begins with local work groups, involving local conservation districts, NRCS,
> the Farm Service Agency (FSA), FSA county committees, Cooperative Extension
> Service, tribes, and other units of government interested in natural resource
> conservation. These groups do a conservation needs assessment, identify
> local priorities, determine ranking criteria, and then send their
> recommendations for priority areas and program policy to the U.S. Department
> of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for
> approval in consultation with the Farm Service Agency.
>
> Q. Why are priority areas being emphasized?
> A. By law, the program is to be delivered through priority areas. By
> placing a program emphasis in priority areas, more resources will be directed
> to address serious and critical environmental needs and concerns. Although
> the program is being delivered in a different manner than previous programs,
> major shifts are not expected in the conservation assistance provided to the
> various regions of the country.
>
> Q. How will priority areas be determined in FY 1997--the first year of the
> program?
> A. The first year of the program will be a transition year. To get the
> program up and running as soon as possible, priority areas have been
> identified at the State level by the NRCS State Conservationist with input
> from the State Technical Committee, in consultation with FSA. To refine the
> priority area information and involve the local work groups, NRCS will accept
> additional input from the local level until funding decisions are made. The
> priority areas can be modified in 1998 and beyond based on the
> recommendations of the local work groups. The goal is to receive as much
> local input as possible in establishing the priority areas.
>
> Q. Will EQIP be available in every county?
> A. It's likely that not every county will be in a funded priority area.
> However, in every county producers who have significant natural resource
> needs will be eligible for the program.
> USDA recognized that significant environmental concerns will need to be
> resolved outside of priority areas. A portion of the EQIP assistance funds
> will be provided for this purpose. This will enable the needs outside of
> priority areas to be addressed while maintaining the primary program emphasis
> in priority areas.
>
> Q. How is the information from the local work groups to be used?
> A. The local work group recommendations go to the NRCS-designated
> conservationist for the local area and then to the State Conservationist who,
> with the advice of the State Technical Committee and, in consultation with
> FSA, compiles and reviews the recommendations and then establishes priorities
> and policies for the state. The recommendations are integrated into regional
> and national strategic plans. These strategic plans become the basis for
> funding allocations.
>
> Q. Do all resource concern areas have the same priority?
> A. No. Soil, water, air, plant, animal, and related natural resource
> concerns are all given equal initial consideration for treatment, but higher
> priority is given to areas where State or local governments offer financial
> or technical assistance and to areas where agricultural improvements will
> help producers comply with federal or state environmental goals and laws,
> such as the Clean Water Act. By statute, 50 percent of the program funds
> will be targeted to natural resource concerns relating to livestock
> production, and 50 percent will be allocated to agriculture's other
> conservation needs.
>
> Q. Is there a sign-up period?
> A. Applications will be accepted continuously throughout the year. Ranking
> and selecting the offers of producers will occur during designated periods.
>
> Q. Do producers need a conservation plan under EQIP?
> A. Yes. All approved applicants are responsible for developing and
> submitting a conservation plan that will address the situation on the
> applicant's land relevant to the identified conservation needs or objectives
> to be addressed. A conservation plan is developed by the producer, with the
> assistance of NRCS or other public or private natural resource professionals,
> with approval by the local conservation district. The plan is used to
> establish an EQIP contract.
>
> Q. Do farmers need to enter into a contract to get assistance from EQIP?
> A. Yes. EQIP is a long-term program. By statute, USDA is to offer 5- to
> 10-year contracts that provide incentive payments and cost sharing for
> conservation practices needed at the site.
>
> Q. If a producer has a contract in a priority area and the priority area is
> not approved in a subsequent year, will the producer lose the contract?
> A. No. Once a contract is approved for a producer, the producer will
> continue to receive payments in accordance with the contract even if the
> priority area is not designated or funded in future years.
>
> Q. What does cost sharing pay for?
> A. USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation may pay up to 75 percent of the
> costs of certain conservation practices, such as grassed waterways, filter
> strips, manure management facilities, capping abandoned wells, and other
> practices important to improving and maintaining the health of natural
> resources in the area.
>
> Q. Are large livestock operations eligible for cost-share assistance?
> A. No. Large confined livestock operations are not eligible for cost-share
> assistance for animal waste management facilities. USDA will ensure that
> cost-share assistance goes only to small and medium-sized operations. Large
> confined livestock operations may receive technical assistance and financial
> assistance for other conservation practices on the farm or ranch.
>
> Q. What is a large confined livestock operation?
> A. USDA has proposed in this rule that the definition of a large confined
> livestock operation be determined for each state by the NRCS State
> Conservationists, after consultation with the State Technical Committee and
> FSA. USDA will provide guidance to state conservationists and work closely
> with them to ensure that only family-sized farms and ranches receive the cost
> share assistance. USDA is concerned that a one-size-fits-all definition
> cannot be developed and used fairly nationwide. Livestock operations vary
> from state to state based on the type of operations, markets, and natural
> resource conditions. The Department welcomes comments on how large livestock
> operations could be be defined on a national level.
>
> Q. What are incentive payments?
> A. Incentive payments are made to enable a producer to perform a land
> management practice that would not otherwise be initiated without financial
> assistance. The payments may reimburse the producer for up to 100 percent of
> the practice costs and are limited to 3 years. Land management practices are
> conservation practices that require site-specific techniques and methods to
> conserve natural resources. Examples include nutrient management, manure
> management, integrated pest management, irrigation water management, grazing
> management, and wildlife habitat management.
>
> Q. Where does EQIP's funding come from and how long will it continue?
> A. Funding for EQIP comes from USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. The
> program's budget for fiscal year 1996 is $130 million; thereafter, funding is
> authorized at $200 million per year through the year 2002.
>
> Q. Are there limits to individual payments?
> A. Yes. Total cost-share and incentive payments are limited to $10,000 per
> person per year and $50,000 over the length of the contract.
>
> Q. How will USDA assure that the program is available to all eligible
> farmers and ranchers across the country?
> A. Outreach efforts are being made to assure that all eligible producers
> have access to the program. Special efforts will be made to reach limited
> resource producers, minorities, women, tribes, Alaskan natives, Pacific
> Islanders, and others who may not have historically participated in USDA
> conservation programs and have significant natural resource concerns.
>
> Q. Who manages EQIP?
> A. Several federal, state, and local agencies will work closely together to
> implement the program. NRCS, in close cooperation with FSA, has leadership
> for EQIP. Conservation districts and FSA county committees have important
> roles in implementing EQIP at the local level. State Technical Committees
> offer advice on establishing EQIP activities at the state level. Other
> agencies will also provide assistance to producers who enter the program.
>
> Q. How can you find out more about EQIP?
> A. Ask NRCS, FSA, the local Extension Service, or your local conservation
> district. Your local USDA Service Center is listed in the telephone book
> under U.S. Department of Agriculture. Information is also available on
> USDA's World Wide Web site: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov.
>
> #
>
> NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet.
> Access the USDA homepage on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov.
http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/1996/10/0559