EQIP signup set for November

Agricultural landowners interested in participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) need to apply by Nov. 16 to be eligible for the next round of funding.

Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers receive financial and technical assistance to help install conservation practices and to implement management systems that promote conservation. The National Resources Conservation Service and the producer share the cost of implementing conservation practices, while NRCS pays the whole cost of technical assistance.

Beginning in 2008, NRCS will offer flat-rate payments, rather than paying based on a percentage of the cost, for each conservation practice.

"Landowners will know up-front what the payment in dollars will be," said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas.

The Hill Country Soil and Water Conservation District, which covers Lampasas and Burnet counties, will hold a program development group and local work group meeting Oct. 5 at the Lampasas County Extension Service Conference Room at 409 S. Pecan Street. The program development meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and will include discussion of natural resource concerns and the 2008 EQIP. The public is invited.

After the program development meeting the local work group will convene to discuss natural resource issues identified in program development. The local work group also will make recommendations to NRCS for implementing EQIP in 2008.

"One important component of EQIP that remains the same is the input needed from the local level to make EQIP address the most pressing resource concerns there," Gohmert said.

To sign up for EQIP or to get more information contact the Lampasas County NRCS office at 556-5572. Additional information about Texas NRCS technical assistance and programs is available at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.