USDA ANNOUNCES SIGN-UP DEADLINE FOR THREE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS:  Funding Available for Farmland, Wildlife Land, and Wetlands
 

Contact:  Christina Coulon, 614-255-2471

COLUMBUS, April 6, 2009. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today that funding decisions for applications to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) will take place May 8, 2009. While the application process for these Farm Bill conservation programs is continuous, funding selections are only made once or twice a year.

Terry Cosby, State Conservationist for NRCS in Ohio, said that these programs were revised in the 2008 Farm Bill, and the rules continue to filter in. EQIP is the primary program available to farmers for farmland conservation practices, offering flat-rate payments for over 50 conservation practices.

New Special Conservation Initiatives
However, the big news with EQIP is that there are several new initiatives on tap this year.
- A special EQIP program focusing on Air Quality is available in 31 Ohio counties. Practices focusing on reducing ozone and fine particulate matter are offered.
- Two special EQIP programs for forestry are offered; a program for general forest stewardship practices and a forestry EQIP program focusing on the control of invasive species. The invasive species forestry EQIP is available only in 22 southern Ohio counties.
- In addition to these special initiatives, an increased focus on the natural resource concerns of organic growers and specialty crop producers was mandated through the 2008 Farm Bill. Conservation practices targeted to these special audiences are available.

“EQIP was established to help all types of farmers - livestock and dairy, grazing, or cash crop, including specialty crops and organic,” said Cosby. "EQIP also offers additional assistance for beginning, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource farmers."

Farmers can sign up at the NRCS office in USDA Service Centers statewide. NRCS anticipates nearly $12 million in funds for Ohio producers.

Sign-up for Wildlife Habitat
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides technical assistance and costsharing to restore wildlife habitat. In Ohio, over 20 different conservation practices are available, ranging from creating a fish passage, to establishing a riparian buffer. Special priority is given to habitat that benefits species of national or State significance, including declining and endangered species.

Depending on the site, streams, prairies, oak savannahs, and other types of habitat, including habitat for pollinators, may qualify to be restored. Land eligibility for WHIP includes private agricultural land, non-industrial private forest land and tribal land.

Create, Protect, or Restore Wetlands
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) makes it easy to create, restore, or enhance the wetlands that provide important environmental benefits on your land.

The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering technical assistance from experts in creating wetlands. Financial assistance, up to 100 percent of the cost of restoration, is also offered for wetland restorations. Conservation easements can be placed on the wetland for 30 years or permanently for a lump sum easement payment or payments may be spread out over a period of up to 30 years.

The 2008 Farm Bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to pay up to the fair market value of the land, as determined by an appraisal or an area-wide market analysis or survey, The actual easement payment will be the lower of the Market Survey Analysis, Geographical Area Rate Cap, or landowner offer.

Eligible lands include farmed wetlands, prior converted cropland, farmed wetland pasture, farmland altered by flooding that now take on wetland characteristics, current or abandoned cropland, and forest production lands with tile lines, drainage ditches, dikes, or similar alterations, where the landowner agrees to remove these devices.

For more information and applications on any of these programs, visit www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov, or contact the NRCS office at the USDA Service Center serving your county.

 

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