2005 Conservation Programs Open Through NRCS

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman was able to give early release for certain program allocations which gives farmers and rancher more time to make sound decisions regarding conservation practices before beginning the planting season. West Virginia is receiving $9,968,886 for conservation programs on working lands in fiscal year 2005.

Any eligible landowner in West Virginia can apply for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) on a continuous basis at local USDA Service Centers. Now that we have received initial funding levels, agricultural producers and their partners have greater certainty and predictability in their long-term decisions on environmental stewardship

Conservation planning and implementation is an ongoing process and producers can begin planning any time for the next rounds of funding. Keeping with the intent of Secretary Veneman's early release of the conservation funds the Call for Ranking of applications for WHIP happens December 3, 2004. The second round ranking ends April 1, 2005. Producers will know before Christmas if they were selected to receive funding.

The end of the ranking period for the WRP program is also December 3.

The Call for Ranking for the first round of the EQIP program is set for January 28, 2005 and producers will know if their applications were selected to receive funds by early March. GRP ranking period ends January 30, 2005. AMA ranking ends March 4, 2005.

Applications for these programs will be evaluated, ranked, and selected for available funding. Once each fiscal year's funding has been exhausted, eligible applications will remain on file for future consideration when additional funding becomes available. Conservation programs under the Farm Bill are voluntary and focus on a variety of natural resource concerns on private and Tribal lands. The goal is to assist producers trying to conserve and protect natural resources on the nation's 1.3 billion acres of private working lands.

For more information please contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or your local conservation district. Information also is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/

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