Officials with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) remind agricultural producers that the sign-up deadline for assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is July 1.
The general EQIP program offers technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers to implement conservation practices such as: grassed waterways and diversion ditches, cover crops, conservation crop rotation and tillage, and mulching. EQIP funds are available to assist producers in addressing such concerns as soil and water quality, grazing land conservation, animal waste management, forest stand improvement and irrigation water management.
Any producer engaged in livestock, crop or forest production on eligible land may apply for EQIP.
Eligible land includes cropland, pastureland and private non-industrial forestland. NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis.
However, only applications which are received by July 1 will be considered for general EQIP funding in fiscal year 2014.
Applications received after this date will be considered for funding in 2015.
Producers interested in the EQIP Program should visit their local USDA Service Center, listed online at http://offices.usda.gov or in the telephone book under United States Government, Agriculture Department, to complete an application and begin the conservation planning process. For additional program information visit the Maine NRCS website at www.me.nrcs.usda.gov.
NRCS, in existence since 1935, is the lead conservation agency that helps farmers conserve, maintain and improve natural resources through science-based conservation efforts, technical assistance and incentive-based programs.
Aroostook County has three NRCS field offices.
Locations in Houlton, Presque Isle and Fort Kent enable area producers the ability to discuss conservation planning and implementation by site visits or map images to address resource concerns in a detailed planning process.
