NRCS announces EQIP application deadline of Oct. 19

POMEROY, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 as the deadline to submit applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Ohio.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program which helps producers make conservation work for them. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations. Local projects include pasture improvement projects, high tunnels, Bobwhite Quail and pollinator habitat, oak management, and wildlife.

Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations. Through EQIP, you can voluntarily implement conservation practices, and NRCS co-invests in these practices with you.

Financial assistance is now available in a variety of agricultural categories such as cropland, forestry, pasture operations, and organic. Several special projects are also available which address water quality, forestry management, improving pollinator populations, applying best management practices and many more. All available agricultural categories are listed on the Ohio NRCS website under “EQIP Application Deadlines.”

To participate in USDA conservation programs, applicants should be farmers or farm or forest landowners, and meet eligibility criteria. Applications signed and submitted to NRCS by the Oct. 19 deadline will be evaluated for fiscal year 2019 funding.

To learn more about EQIP or other technical and financial assistance available through NRCS conservation programs, visit “Get Started with NRCS” on the NRCS website, visit your local USDA Service Center, or call Carrie Crislip, NRCS district c