12/20/05 EQIP deadline just weeks away

12/20/05 EQIP deadline just weeks away

Washington Ag December 20, 2005 Washington agricultural producers interested in receiving cost-share assistance through USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, need to apply by January 13th if they want to be considered for funding in 2006. EQIP is a voluntary, cost share assistance program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service that funds conservation practices including those aimed at helping farmers get better use of irrigation water, managing run-off nutrients and or animal waste, improving the health of native plant communities and reducing soil loss. Last year ag producers in the state qualified for more than 17-million dollars in cost-share assistance. And Dave Brown, assistant State Conservationist for Programs with the Washington NRCS, says even though you may have not been funded in the past you may want to try again. Brown: "Each year our Local Work Groups review their resource priorities within our given teams. So those priorities change from year to year. So the landowner out there who has signed up before, not been funded, I would encourage people to come back in, reapply, because things may have changed within their Local Work Group that may make their resources issues a higher priority." Again the application deadline to get EQIP funding in 2006 is January 13th. I'm Bob Hoff.
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