USDA Announces $2 Million Initiative To Help Drought-Stricken Klamath Farmers

The cutoff date for applications this fiscal year has been extended through April 23, 2010

About the Klamath Drought Initiative

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made available $1 million in Oregon and $1 million in California for a special drought initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the USBR Klamath Reclamation Project area. This initiative includes farmers in parts of Klamath County in Oregon and Modoc and Siskiyou counties in California.

Farmers in the reclamation project area (PDF, 368 KB) now have the opportunity to apply for technical and financial assistance to address their most immediate and critical drought-related soil wind-erosion concerns. It is imperative that soils with inadequate cover or residue are planted with cover crops as soon as possible in order to maximize the amount of remaining soil moisture.

Technical and Financial Assistance

Producers will be eligible to receive EQIP payments up to 75 percent of the average estimated cost for implementation of approved conservation practices. In addition, historically underserved producers may be able to receive payments up to 90 percent of practice implementation costs.

The EQIP Klamath Drought Initiative will establish conservation cover that minimizes the effects of wind erosion on bare fields. Producers who historically irrigate from the reclamation project area with highly erodible soils will receive the highest priority.
 

2010 Klamath Drought Initiative Practice Payment:

• Conservation Cover Crop Estimated Payment Rate: $80/ac standard
• Conservation Cover Crop Estimated Payment Rate: $96/ac historically underserved

Eligibility

At a minimum, applicants and their land must meet the eligibility requirements for EQIP. Eligible applications are ranked and compete against other projects for funding.

This initiative will focus on historically irrigated cropland within the reclamation project area (PDF, 368 KB). Fields with soils prone to wind erosion will receive the highest priority.

Application Evaluation and Ranking

The NRCS is accepting applications for this special drought initiative through April 23, 2010. Applications will be ranked and selected for funding every Thursday until available funds are depleted. Selecting applications for funds on a weekly basis will allow applicants to plant cover crops as soon as they are notified that they have been selected for funding.

The document below requires Microsoft Excel

CA / OR 2010 EQIP Emergency Drought Screening Tool (XLS, 32 KB)

How to Apply

Interested participants can apply for assistance through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center. NRCS field office phone numbers for counties within the EQIP Klamath Drought Initiative are as follows:

Klamath Falls Service Center, Oregon: 541-883-6924, extension 118
Tulelake Service Center, California: 530-667-4247, extension 109

For More Information

Contact

For assistance locally contact the county service center listed above. For additional program assistance contact:

State Leader for Programs
Phone: 503-414-3235
 

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