USDA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL EQIP FUNDS FOR ON-FARM CONSERVATION

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information:
Bill White: (503) 414-3267, Bill.White@or.usda.gov

Portland, July 15, 2008 — Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced an additional $200 million will be made available through the 2008 Farm Bill to help farmers and ranchers nationwide to solve natural resource problems through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The additional funds include $3.1 million in financial assistance for farmers and ranchers in Oregon.

“These additional funds will assist farmers and ranchers in solving critical natural resource problems,” Schafer said. “Voluntary incentive-based programs like EQIP are the key to helping producers meet their conservation goals and provide the public with important benefits such as cleaner water, improved air quality, healthy soils, and abundant wildlife.”

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers EQIP, which provides financial and technical assistance to producers. Congress provided the extra funds for both programs for fiscal year 2008. EQIP was reauthorized in the 2008 Farm Bill.

EQIP helps farmers and ranchers improve agricultural production while protecting environmental quality. EQIP offers up to 75 percent in cost share to help producers install or implement structural and management practices on private agricultural land. Limited resource producers and beginning farmers and ranchers may be eligible for higher rates in EQIP—up to 90 percent in cost-share assistance—to address their natural resource issues.

Through EQIP, growers may apply for financial and technical assistance to plan and install a number of conservation measures for their working lands. These include: irrigation and water management practices, grazing management systems, animal waste storage, erosion control, pest management, wildlife habitat improvement and other measures.

Farmers and ranchers interested in applying for EQIP assistance should contact their local NRCS office, listed with the federal government agencies in the telephone directory or online at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/

Additional information about EQIP is available at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/index.html 

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