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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
9173 W. Barnes Dr., Suite C
Boise, Idaho 83709
 
For More Information:
Contact:  Jody Fagan, 208.685.6978
 

Conservation Program Applications Due Jan. 14

(Boise, ID)—There’s only one month remaining for Idaho farmers and ranchers to apply for an initial allocation of nearly $15 million in financial assistance.

The funding includes all conservation programs administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) except for the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and the Conservation Security Program. Applications are due at the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Jan. 14.

“Producers will want to stop into their local NRCS office sooner than later,” says Richard Sims, NRCS State Conservationist for Idaho. “With the holidays upon us, the January deadline will come up quickly.”

NRCS conservation programs available through this allocation are:

  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—assists farmers and ranchers to improve soil, air and water quality and other related resources on private working lands.

  • EQIP for Ground & Surface Water—assists farmers and ranchers in improving agricultural water use efficiency.

  • Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)—voluntary program helping landowners restore, enhance and protect wetlands through permanent easements, 30-year easements and restoration cost-share agreements.

  • Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)—voluntary program designed to protect and restore grasslands, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion.

  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)—offers technical and financial assistance through long-term agreements to create, restore and enhance wildlife habitat for upland wildlife, wetland wildlife, and threatened, endangered or at-risk species and fisheries.

Another application period for NRCS conservation programs may occur later in 2005. A sign-up period for the new Conservation Security Program (CSP) in selected Idaho watersheds is scheduled for sometime this winter. CSP rewards those farmers and ranchers already practicing good stewardship on their land. Since CSP funding requires that conservation practices be successfully implemented, producers interested in applying for CSP in the future may want to consider enrolling in a Farm Bill program like EQIP in order to prepare their operations.

For more information on NRCS conservation programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov.

 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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