Jones 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 Jones County resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

• Soil Erosion:  Classic and ephemeral gully, sheet and rill

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

• Air Quality:  Objectionable odors, Excessive Greenhouse gas (CO2)

• Plant Condition:  Forage Quality; Productivity, Health and Vigor

• Domestic Animals:  Inadequate stock water, Inadequate quantities and quality of feed and forage

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reduction of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, or pesticides 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 of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

3. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.

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 and to treat soil erosion, surface water quality, management of pastureland and at-risk species of plants, and animal management – including nutrition and health of domestic livestock and wildlife management to protect at-risk wildlife species.

The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract. Applications having only forestry-related practices will compete against each other for a separate pool of funds which will be 10 to 20 percent of the total initial allocation to Jones County. 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 Jones County USDA Service Center located at 300 Chamber Drive, Anamosa, IA  52205. Phone (319) 462-3196. Fax (319) 462-3099.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2008    New!
EQIP Application 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

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