nrcsThe cutoff date for Signup 1 of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program is Nov. 18, 2016, as announced by the New York Natural Resources Conservation Service. EQIP assists participants in implementing practices that address priority resource concerns, including soil erosion, water quality and habitat degradation.

NRCS offers financial and technical assistance to participants through this Program. EQIP focus areas include the farmstead, soil management, habitat, forestry and grazing. Some examples of practices where technical and financial assistance is available are strip cropping, grassed waterways, forest stand improvement and manure storage facilities.

“Through the planning process, NRCS identifies resource concerns present on the agricultural operation,” said Gregory Kist NRCS State Conservationist. “EQIP funds are beneficial to assist the agricultural producers of New York with implementing the practices necessary to treat the resource concerns.”

Applications accepted between Nov. 18 and Feb. 17, 2017, will be considered for funding in Signup 2. Any applications accepted after Feb. 17, 2017, will only be considered in Fiscal Year 2017 if additional signup rounds are announced. An application not funded in FY2017 will be deferred for consideration in FY2018. All applications are competitive, and are ranked based on national, state and locally identified resource priorities, and the overall benefit to the environment.

For more information on applying for an NRCS conservation program, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ny/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_027058.

NRCS Field Offices are located at USDA Service Centers in Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties. For further field office location information, visit http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=NY.

By martha

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