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Hardin 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 Hardin County resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

Soil Erosion

  • Sheet and Rill

  • Ephemeral Gully

  • Classic Gully

  • Soil Condition

  • Organic Matter Depletion

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

Domestic Animals

  • Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage

  • Inadequate Stock Water

Fish and Wildlife

  • Inadequate Shelter/Cover

  • Inadequate Water

Water Quality (surface)

  • Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface Water

  • Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water

Plant Condition/Management

  • Productivity, Health and Vigor

  • Noxious and Invasive Species

  • Forage Quality and Palatability

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

  1. Reduction of 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.

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 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. Manure storage practices (313, 350) will have a contractual limit of $ 50,000 per contract.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Hardin County USDA Service Center located at 840 Brooks Road, Iowa Falls, IA  50126-8008. Phone (641) 648-3463. Fax (641) 648-9227.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2008    New!
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    New!
EQIP Manure Storage Ranking - 2008    New!

 EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only

 EQIP Practice List - 2006    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2006    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2006    For Archival Purposes Only

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