Independence County Conservation District
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Natural Resource Conservation Service

Helping people help the land through scientifically based, locally led voluntary conservation efforts.
Photo on left is a water facility that was installed in Independence County.

Arkansas NRCS

Environmental Quality Incentives Program  

 General Program Description
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program process in Arkansas was derived
  from a local led and partners effort. With the help of partners and locally led
  groups the Natural Resources Conservation Service identified eight funding
  categories. EQIP will also give additional attention to groundwater decline
  problems, and increased assistance for forestry landowners.

Applications for EQIP are taken at a local USDA Field Service Centers. The
  2026 sign up is currently going on. However, applications are accepted at
  anytime. NRCS, with the assistance from the farmer/rancher, will determine
  individual environmental ranking points, according to the NRCS Application
  Ranking Tool (AERT).

All applications will be entered into Protracts at the local offices.  At the
  end of the ranking period, the NRCS State Office will then select a preapproved
  applications for funding. Anyone selected for funding will need to work closely
  with NRCS to develop a contract or agreement within strict time frames that
will  be provided upon notice of selection.

Local and Statewide Funding
The local categories are intended to focus on the primary resource issues in
  a localized area, as identified by the locally-led conservation workgroup
  representatives for each county.  The statewide categories are designed to
  address the resource concerns of water quality issues related to animal manure
  management and sedimentation, improved management of irrigation water and
  reduction in ground water use, reduction of erosion and improvement of wildlife
  habitat.

All applications will be evaluated for funding based on a state developed
  procedure to optimize environmental benefits.  Applications ranking highest in
a  funding category will be funded subject to availability of program funds.


Primary Issues Addressed by EQIP
EQIP
  continues to address those primary resource concerns that were identified by
  locally led groups.  These are:
- Wildlife Habitat concerns
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality , sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality, sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quantity, irrigation(especially groundwater decline)
- Soil Quality, erosion
- Plant Health, forest
- Water Quality, forests
- Plant Health, grazing land


What is going on in Arkansas NRCS?

These links will take you to the Arkansas NRCS Newsletter. 
1st quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd322407&ext=pdf
2nd quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd372410&ext=pdf

Conservation Stewardship Program

Program Description The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by:
  • Undertaking additional conservation activities; and
  • Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities.
CSP is available on Tribal and private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land in all 50 States and the Caribbean and Pacific Islands Areas. The program provides equitable access to all producers, regardless of operation size, crops produced, or geographic location. The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the authority for CSP to the NRCS Chief.

How CSP Works CSP
Encourages land stewards to improve their conservation performance by installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land.  NRCS will make CSP available nationwide on a continuous application basis.

The State Conservationist, in consultation with the State Technical Committee and local work groups, will focus program impacts on natural resources that are of specific concern for a State, or the specific geographic areas within a State. Applications will be evaluated relative to other applications addressing similar priority resource concerns to facilitate a competitive ranking process among applicants within a State who face similar resource challenges.

The entire operation must be enrolled and must include all eligible land operated substantially separate that will be under the applicant's control for the term of the proposed contract.

CSP offers participants two possible types of payments:
  • Annual payment for installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities
  • Supplemental payment for the adoption of resource-conserving crop rotations
Eligible Lands Through CSP, NRCS will provide financial and technical assistance to eligible producers to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land.
  • Cropland
  • Grassland
  • Prairie Land
  • Improved Pastureland
  • Rangeland
  • Nonindustrial Private Forest Lands
  • Agricultural Land Under the Jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe
  • And other Private Agricultural Land (including Cropped Woodland, Marshes, and Agricultural Land used for the Production of Livestock) on which Resource Concerns Related to Agricultural Production Could be Addressed.
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