Cerro Gordo County EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. This program is available to farmers and offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.

The following are Cerro Gordo County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

• Water Quality - Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface Water and Groundwater

• Water Quality - Harmful Levels of Pesticides in Surface Water and Groundwater

• Soil Erosion - Sheet and Rill Erosion, Classic and Ephemeral Gully Erosion

• Soil Condition – Contaminants - Animal Waste and Other Organics N, K, P

• Domestic Animals – Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage

• Domestic Animals – Inadequate Stock Water

• Plant Condition - Productivity, Health and Vigor

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

• Reduction of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) where available as well the reduction of groundwater contamination or point source contamination from confined animal feeding operations.

• Reduction in soils erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land.

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that help most to address the above resource concerns. The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract. Sign-up is continuous at the NRCS field office. The ranking of the applications will be done periodically as funding allocations become available, will be announced through the NRCS State Office, and will be publicized by all levels of NRCS. The NRCS may establish local, minimum ranking cut-off levels for funding selection.

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and address these priority resource concerns in the District.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Cerro Gordo County USDA Service Center located at 1415 South Monroe Avenue, Mason City, Iowa 50401. Phone (641) 424-4452. Fax (641) 423-8779.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2009
EQIP Pest Management Intensity Options - 2009

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

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