Ohio 2007 State EQIP Sign-Up and Application Information

General Program Description
Eligibility
For More Information

2007 EQIP Conservation Practice, Sign-Up, & Ranking Documents
Links to Other Useful Documents
Contact Persons

Information for Limited Resource & Beginner Farmers

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, agricultural producers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

Ohio NRCS supports the locally led conservation effort in the delivery of conservation programs. The USDA local work group (LWG) serves as the starting point for the development and coordination of USDA programs to provide an integrated approach for addressing local natural resource concerns.

The LWG ensures that a conservation needs assessment is developed using community stakeholder’s input. Utilizing the assessment process, the LWG identifies resource concerns and recommends practices, priorities, payment rates, and funding needs. The group assists in multi-county coordination when resource concerns will be addressed across county boundaries.

The LWG information is solicited by Ohio NRCS each year in a common format. Following the submittals of LWG proposals, the State Conservationist convenes the State Technical Committee to review requests and make recommendations on ranking criteria, eligible practices, and funding. Any adopted recommendations to a county proposal will be returned to the county to incorporate into the county's final approval proposal.

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Based on county resource assessments from LWGs, the following four National and State resource concerns have been identified as priorities for 2007:

Water Quality (sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and livestock)
Soil Resources (soil quality and soil health)
Habitat Recovery for At-Risk Wildlife Species
Air Quality

A ranking score sheet has been developed that will address the four National and State resource concerns along with the criteria developed by each county LWG. The LWG priorities will comprise 100 of the total points in the ranking score by identifying critical practices and watersheds within the county. The State Conservationist must grant final approval of county LWG ranking criteria, eligible practices, cost-share levels, and payment rates.

Ohio NRCS has established a cutoff date for accepting EQIP applications for funding consideration during 2007. EQIP applications received on or before December 29, 2006, will be ranked and rated for funding in each county. Applications received after December 29, 2006, will still be accepted, but will be "deferred" to the next funding cycle.

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The maximum cost share rates established in Ohio are as follows:

Manure storage facilities and composting facilities will be eligible for a 65% incentive payment.
All other structural practices will be eligible for a 50% incentive payment.
Land management practices will be paid an incentive payment to encourage landowners to adopt the practice. This amount will not cover the total cost of implementing the practice although the county average costs used in the Ohio EQIP Statewide Ranking/Evaluation worksheet indicates 100% cost share.

EQIP has and will continue to be a competitive program for the awarding of contracts.

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Eligibility

Any producer engaged in livestock or crop production on eligible land may apply for EQIP. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.