NRCS Announces Farm Bill Ranking Period

MORGANTOWN, WV, September 5, 2012—Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers voluntary conservation program opportunities through the Farm Bill. Applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and Agriculture Management Assistance Program (AMA) are accepted at any time. The next ranking cut-off is October 19, 2012. Applications will be evaluated and ranked following this date based on funding.

EQIP funds are used to help correct environmental problems caused by agricultural operations. Participants typically address soil erosion and water quality problems associated with cropland and animal agriculture. Also included in EQIP are funds to address issues on non-industrial forestland.

The CBWI is much the same as EQIP, but is limited to the eight counties in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, West Virginia. Common to both programs are practices such as cover crops, animal waste management, pasture management, livestock water development, and forestry practices.

WHIP funds assist participants to install practices aimed at improving wildlife habitat. Funds are available for threatened and endangered habitat protection, stream habitat improvement, riparian area development, early successional habitat, and other declining and important wildlife habitat.

AMA is a program to assist agricultural producers minimize risk associated with agricultural production. Popular practices under the AMA program are irrigation and other water development.

For more information and to apply for programs, please contact the NRCS at 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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