Wayne 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 Wayne County Resource Concerns to be addressed by the EQIP:

Domestic Animals

• Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage

• Inadequate Stock Water

Plant Condition

• Forage Quality and Palatability

• Noxious and Invasive Plants

• Productivity, Health, & Vigor

Soil Condition

• Organic Matter Depletion

Soil Erosion

• Classic and/or Ephemeral Gully

• Sheet and Rill

• Streambank

Water Quality

• Excessive Nutrients and Organics in the Surface water

• Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water

• Harmful levels of Pathogens in Ground and/or Surface water

Energy

• Inefficient Energy Use-Equipment and Facilities
• Inefficient Energy Use-Farming Practices and Field Operations

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reduction of nonpoint 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 conservation of ground and surface water resources.
2. Reduction of 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 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. 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 selections.

The following areas have been selected as priority watersheds by the locally led group. These areas will receive additional points in the ranking system. They are:

• Upper Wolf Creek
• Upper Brush Creek
• Walker Branch
• Chariton River #1
• Chariton River #2
• Chariton River #3 
• Chariton River #11
• Upper Ninemile Creek
• Lower Ninemile Creek
• Upper Fivemile Creek
• Upper Jordan Creek
• Lower Jordan Creek
• Upper Dick Creek
• Lower Dick Creek
• Wildcat Creek                        
• Goodwater
• South Fork Chariton River  #1
• Upper West Jackson
• Lost Branch

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and help most to address these priority resource concerns in the District. They also recommend that the county allocation be divided into separate accounts to address the local resource concerns. Each application will be ranked in the single pot that best describe their application.  These separate accounts are:

1. Cropland Soil Erosion- structural practices
2. Confined Animal Feeding Operation / Animal Feeding Operation                             
3. Pasture Plant Condition and Health (Rathbun Priority Watershed
4. Pasture Plant Condition and Health                 
5. Cropland Soil Erosion – vegetative control (Rathbun Priority Watershed)  
6. Cropland Soil Erosion – vegetative control       
7. Cover Crop Initiative

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Wayne County USDA Service Center located at 300 South Lafayette Street, Corydon, IA  50060. Phone (641) 872-1350. Fax (641) 872-1631.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2012
EQIP Application Ranking - 2012

EQIP Practice List - 2011
EQIP Application Ranking - 2011

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