Howard 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 Howard County resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

• Soil – erosion: sheet and rill, ephemeral and classic gully

• Water – quality, ground: contamination – nutrients/organics

• Water – quality, surface: contamination – nutrients/organics, sediment

• Animals – wildlife habitat: cover and shelter, population, food

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reduction of non-point source pollution (resource concern – Water Quality)

2. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels (resource concern – Soil, erosion)

3. Promotion of at-risk species (resource concern –Wildlife Habitat)

4. Reduction of ground water contamination. (resource concern – Water Quality)

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.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Howard County USDA Service Center located at 311 7th Street Southwest, Suite 2, Cresco, IA  52136. Phone (563) 547-3040. Fax (563) 547-3701.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2008    New!
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    New!
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2008    New!

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

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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