USDA Offers Farmers Financial Assistance for Conservation
 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Feb. 2, 2006 – A U.S. Department of Agriculture program can help farmers pay for conservation practices that prevent erosion, improve water quality and provide habitat for wildlife.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, can pay up to 75 percent of the cost of certain conservation practices on agricultural land. Funding is still available in 2006 for farmers who apply for the program before March 15.
In 2005, Michigan farmers received nearly $15.4 million in cost shares and incentive payments through EQIP. Some of the conservation practices eligible for EQIP funds include animal waste storage facilities, comprehensive nutrient management plans, livestock stream crossings, prescribed grazing plans and livestock watering facilities to name a few.
The first step in receiving assistance through EQIP is to contact your local NRCS field office. After the conservation concerns on your operation are identified, you and your NRCS representative can determine whether EQIP, or other NRCS programs, can be utilized to protect natural resources on your land. For more information on EQIP and other NRCS conservation programs, call your local NRCS field office or go to www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip.html.


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