10/12/05 Conservation money to come early?

The NRCS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is getting program fund money out to producers two months ahead of schedule. State conservationist Rich Sims is anticipating that the money will be available later this month. SIMS "What we're hoping on is to get our mandatory money which is the conservation cost share programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat and the Wetland Reserve Program. If we get the monies quicker in October then we should be having a signup quicker and not be doing the planning process when farmers are out in the fields trying to put their crops in or move their cows around." Sims says Idaho producers have eagerly signed up for the various conservation programs developed in the 2002 Farm Bill. SIMS "70 percent more money than we've ever had before. We still have a two to one ratio as far as demand by the producers versus the amount of money that we have. Probably five years ago the ratio was four to one." In fiscal year 2005 Idaho producers received more than 20 million dollars for their participation in the various federal conservation programs administered by the NRCS. Voice of Idaho Agriculture