Idaho Bulletin 300-8-1

October 1, 2007

SUBJECT:  LTP - Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

TO:   All Employees, NRCS, Idaho

Purpose. To issue updated guidelines for a FY08 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Special Initiative for restoring grazing lands damaged by wildfires

Expiration Date.  September 30, 2008

History

The 2007 wildfire season has had a significant effect on Idaho’s private land owners. The timing of the wildfire season does not correspond with EQIP funding cycles.  In order to address the natural resource concerns associated with the 2007 wildfire season, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Idaho will offer a special initiative for grazing lands damaged by wildfires.  The sign-up will begin October 10, 2007 and end on October 31, 2007 for 2008 program consideration.

Eligibility

Producers must follow all guidelines in this bulletin in addition to the EQIP policies. 

Adherence to the program rules does not guarantee funding approval; however, it does allow interested producers the ability to remain eligible for funding consideration.  The focus of this initiative is privately owned grazing lands that have burned.  Cropland acres (used for grazing crop aftermath) are not eligible.  Grazed forested lands with tree canopy cover greater than 25% prior to the burn are not eligible. The primary emphasis of this initiative is to restore the health, productivity, and vigor of privately owned grazing lands burned by wildfires.  Tribal lands may be eligible in accordance with previously established EQIP policies in Idaho that govern the eligibility of tribal lands.  Producers who are not already shown to be eligible in Protracts will be considered only until November 15, 2007.  If, at that time they are not eligible for any reason, they will not be considered for funding for the EQIP 2008 Wildfire Initiative.

Applications that receive a ranking score of 100 or less will not be funded.

Wildfire Application Process

Producers must adhere to the following steps in order to remain eligible for this EQIP wildfire special initiative:

1. Immediately defer livestock grazing from grazing lands burned by the wildfire on acres proposed for enrollment.  Grazing deferment until October 1, 2008, will be required for participation in this program on all contracted acres.  NRCS has determined that grazing deferment is the best treatment for wildfire damaged grazing lands.  Producers who are unwilling, or unable, to meet this requirement will not be eligible for funding assistance in this special initiative.
2. Submit an EQIP application (NRCS-CPA-1200) to NRCS on or before October 31, 2007 to be considered for 2008 EQIP funding.
3. Confirm eligibility for EQIP by having all forms in a current and updated condition with FSA and NRCS including CCC-526 AGI, AD-1026 HELC/WC, and CCC-501A Member Information including entity membership information if the participant has an Employee Identification Number (EIN).
4. Read and sign ID 300-8-01 Attachment A to this bulletin, which is an acknowledgement of the special initiative requirements.
5. Cooperate with NRCS to determine the acres eligible for this special initiative on the agricultural operation in order for NRCS to evaluate and rank the application.
6. Follow all other EQIP policies contained elsewhere.
7. If approved for a contract, producers are strongly encouraged to repair fences and watering facilities (on the acres that will be under contract) that were destroyed by the wildfire and they must defer all livestock grazing on the contracted acres until October 1, 2008.

EQIP Wildfire Special Initiative Packet

The EQIP Wildfire Special Initiative packet is a group of documents that will be supplied to the producer at the time that he/she submits the EQIP application.  The packet will include copies of certain practices in order to provide information on fence and water development repair.

• A copy of this bulletin ID 300-8-01 and ID 300-8-01 Attachment. A.
• A copy of the complete application materials (NRCS - CPA-1200 and NRCS -CPA-1202 Appendix).
• A copy of the standards and specifications for the following NRCS conservation practices in order to aid the producer with the installation of any practices applicable to the operation:

• 382 – Fence

• 614 – Watering Facilities

• 528 – Prescribed Grazing (deferred grazing)

• 516 – Pipeline

• Any others requested by the participant

EQIP Eligible Practice

The ONLY cost share practice in the contract will be 528 prescribed grazing (deferred grazing).  Rebuilding of fencing and repair of water developments is expected to be done using the incentive money paid for practice 528.  No other conservation practice is authorized for inclusion in these special initiative contracts.

• 528 – Prescribed Grazing (deferred grazing) – a one-time $11.00 per grazing land acre incentive payment, capped at 2,500 acres.  This incentive payment includes financial assistance for deferring grazing.

Ranking Criteria

The application priorities and the ranking criteria will be completed using the online ProTracts systems.  A fund code called, “SI: Wildfires 08” has been developed and released for this initiative.  Ranking criteria will consist of two questions that consider total private grazing land acres, burned private grazing land acres, and burned private grazing land acres that will be deferred.  The two ranking criteria questions deal with the percentage of burned rangeland acres in the agricultural operation and the number of burned acres that will be deferred.  The questions are:

1. What percentage of the applicant’s private grazing land acres was burned?  Points will be assigned based on the percentage of the total private grazing land acres of the operation that were burned by 2007 wildfires.  Three examples are:

• Example 1: 1,200 acre grazing land operation where 900 acres burned.

• 900 / 1,200 = 0.75
• 0.75 X 100 = 75%
• Points equal 75
• If funded the contract will be 900 acres @ $11.00 = $9,900

• Example 2: 35,000 acre grazing land operation where 5,000 acres burned.

• (5,000 / 35,000) X 100 = 14%
• Points equal 14
• If funded the contract will be 2,500 acres (cap) @ $11.00 = $27,500

• Example 3: 5,000 acre agricultural operation (3,000 acres of grazing land and 2,000 acres of cropland) where 2,400 acres of grazing land burned.

• (2,400 / 3,000) X 100 = 80%
• Points equal 80
• If funded the contract will be 2,400 acres @ $11.00 = $26,400

2. What percentage of the burned grazing land acres are being contracted for grazing deferral? For operations that had private grazing land burned by wildfire in excess of the 2,500 acre cap, the cap amount (2,500) will be used as the denominator when calculating the points in this question.  Three examples are:

• Example 1: Burned private grazing land acres equal 2,600; 2,600 acres will be deferred (2,500 will be contracted).

• (2,500 / 2,500) X 100 = 100%
• Points equal 100

• Example 2: Burned private grazing land acres equal 1,600; 800 acres will be deferred and contracted.

• (800 / 1,600) X 100 = 50%
• Points equal 50

• Example 3: Burned private grazing land acres equal 2,600; 1,400 acres will be deferred and contracted. (Note the use of 2,500 in the denominator instead of 2,600.)

• (1,400 / 2,500) X 100 = 56%
• Points equal 56

The answers to these two questions will be transferred to the ProTracts web ranking sheet under State questions.  Two additional questions regarding past contract performance will also be answered.  Do not fail to answer the National priority questions if applicable.

Participation in Other Programs

The following situations require clarification in situations where another EQIP contract or Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) assistance is available:

• Fences and watering facilities that were installed using previous EQIP cost-share: If the EQIP contract is still active then the practices will be replaced in accordance with CPM 512.53 and CPM 515.112(h). The land serviced by those practices is not eligible for the initiative outlined in this bulletin. If the contract has expired then the land is eligible for the initiative (contracts cannot be cancelled or terminated for the purpose of obtaining initiative funding).
• ECP Assistance:  The producer cannot receive EQIP financial assistance on land where ECP financial assistance has been, or will be received for the same practices (no double payment).  For ECP eligibility the applicant is encouraged to contact the Farm Services Agency (FSA).

Wildfire Special Initiative Timeline

Any EQIP-eligible grazing land damaged by a documented 2007 wildfire in Idaho will be eligible for the program (eligibility does not guarantee funding).  EQIP-eligible producers are encouraged to apply.  The application cut-off date for this initiative is October 31, 2007.  Any application received after this date will not be eligible for participation in the 2008 program.

 If you have additional questions, please contract Bob Bartholomew, EQIP Program Manager, at (208) 378-5703.

/s/
RICHARD SIMS
STATE CONSERVATIONIST     

Attachments

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