Dickinson County EQIP

EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis. However, each locality has a cutoff date for ranking applications, the first of which was March 27, 2009. A subsequent cutoff date to rank additional new applications for Dickinson County has been set for May 21, 2009.

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 Dickinson County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

• Soil Condition – animal waste contamination (N, P, K), organic matter depletion
• Water Quality – excessive nutrients and organics in groundwater and surface water.
• Soil Erosion – classic gully
• Soil Erosion – ephemeral gully
• Soil Erosion – sheet and rill
• Water Quality – harmful levels of pesticides in surface waters
• Water Quality – Excessive suspended sediment and turbidity in surface water.
• Plant Condition – productivity, health and vigor, forage quality and palatability
• Domestic Animals – Inadequate quantities and qualities of feed and forage, inadequate stock water
• Air Quality – Objectionable odors, Excessive greenhouse gas (CO2), Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) 

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reductions in non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources;
2. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.
3. Conservation of ground and surface water resources.
4. Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that address the above resource concerns.  The local work group also identified watersheds where funding should be emphasized based on the Iowa 303d Impaired Waters List.  This includes Iowa Great Lakes, Silver Lake and Milford Creek. 

• The “cap” for a waste storage facility is $75,000 (practices are 317 – Composting Facility, 362 – Diversion, 634 – Manure Transfer, 521C – Pond Sealing or Lining Bentonite, 521A – Pond Sealing or Lining, Flexible Membrane, 558 – Roof Runoff Management, 632 – Solid/Liquid Separation Facility, 313 Waste Storage Facility, 359 – Waste Treatment Lagoon and 370 – Atmospheric Resource Quality Management.
• Financial Assistance may be offered for developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP) for livestock related operations (see cost list for payment rate).  The CNMP must be written prior to beginning construction of the associated waste storage facility.  Duplicate payments for CNMP development are not allowed.
• For grazing, no more than $50,000 financial assistance will be permitted to any individual or entity for a grazing system.  Practices include:  prescribed grazing, fencing, pasture and hay land planting, brush management, nutrient management, ponds, grade stabilization structures, wells and other watering facilities.  No financial assistance on property fence lines.

• Management payments are not offered for more than three years.

• Residue and Tillage Management for no-till, strip-till or ridge-till must have the three scheduled years to run consecutively.
• Financial assistance for tile, when subsurface drain (606) is associated with a grassed waterway, is limited to no more than the amount needed to maintain the grassed waterway, not to exceed 6 inch diameter tile.  When additional tile is needed for upland drainage outlet(s), it may be installed at the participant’s expense as long as all other requirements involving wetland conservation compliance are met.
• There is a lifetime 320 acre maximum allowed per participant for 329, 346, 590 (categories A and B) and 595 practices.
• There is a lifetime 20 acre maximum allowed per participant for 590 (categories C and D) practice.

• Prescribed Grazing (528) must have the three scheduled years run consecutively.

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. Application ranking 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 administered programs contact the Dickinson County USDA Service Center located at 2412 17th Street, Spirit Lake, Iowa  51360.  Phone:  712-336-3782, Ext. 3   Fax:  712-336-4278.

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
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
Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

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