Forestry Funding Available!

NRCS Announces 2010 Sign-up for Conservation Assistance

SYRACUSE, NY, December 14, 2009 ­ State Conservationist Astor F. Boozer of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a January 22, 2010 application deadline for New York farmers and private forestland landowners to be considered for 2010 Conservation Program funding. These programs include: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative, the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). EQIP, CBWI, AMA and WHIP are voluntary conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance to landowners willing to implement practices to improve natural resources and wildlife habitat on privately owned agricultural and forest lands. These conservation programs were authorized or amended in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). “We are pleased to offer landowners in New York opportunities to address resource concerns related to soil, water, air, plants and animals through a variety of programs” said Boozer. “The result will be cleaner water, more productive soils, healthier forests, and more abundant wildlife for all New York residents.”

EQIP is a comprehensive program that helps agricultural producers to implement practices that reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, enhance grazing management, manure management, wildlife habitat management, and more. Assistance can be in the form of engineered structures, such as manure handling facilities, and conservation field practices such as grassed waterways. Additionally, EQIP includes incentive payments for adopting new management techniques that achieve greater environmental benefits. This year producers will be able to apply for eligible practices under several EQIP Focus Areas including: Livestock Waste, Cropland, and Grazing. Private forestland owners will also have the opportunity to apply for practices that improve the health and productivity of their woodlands under the EQIP Forest Management Initiative.

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI) provides assistance to producers who want to implement conservation measures that minimize excess nutrients and sediments in order to restore, preserve, and protect the Chesapeake Bay. In New York, the CBWI program offers financial and technical assistance to producers in priority areas of the Upper Susquehanna Watershed for the implementation of conservation practices for livestock waste, cropland and grazing land resource concerns.

The Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) in New York will focus on practices that improve irrigation efficiency. One of the primary goals of AMA is to assist agricultural producers in mitigating risk through production diversification or installation of conservation practices.

In New York, WHIP will have two focuses; the first is to improve habitat for at-risk shrub-dwelling bird species. The second focus area is for establishing and enhancing grassland habitat for declining bird species, pollinators and other grassland wildlife species. WHIP shrubland wildlife habitat applications must be submitted by January 22, 2010. WHIP grassland habitat applications will be accepted on a continuous basis, and a deadline for 2010 batching and ranking will be announced at a later date.

Applications for EQIP, CBWI, WHIP, and AMA are competitive and are ranked based on national, state, and locally identified resource priorities and their overall benefit to the environment. Interested landowners can apply for all programs at their local USDA-NRCS office. For Sign-up details or additional conservation program information contact your local USDA NRCS office or visit http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/