$790,000 Available for Organic Growers

State Conservationist John A. Bricker of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that Virginia has received $790,000 for a new initiative to encourage organic farming. The funds are part of $50 million available nationwide under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Sign-up has begun and will continue through June 30, 2009.

Virginia Receives $6.9 Million for Chesapeake Bay

State Conservationist John A. Bricker announced that Virginia has received $6.9 million to help farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed implement conservation practices to protect and restore the Bay. Farmers can sign up now for the new program which was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill.

Fact Sheet
Map of the Priority Watershed

$1.7 Million Available for Farmland Protection

Entities can apply for funds to purchase conservation easements to keep agricultural land from being developed according to an announcement by NRCS State Conservationist John A. Bricker. The first ranking of applications will occur on May 29, 2

009.

Funds Available for Easements on Flood Damaged Land

John A. Bricker, NRCS State Conservationist in Virginia announced that landowners who have flood damaged land can sign up for the Floodplain Easement Program from March 9-27, 2009. Nationwide $145 million is available to purchase floodplain easements and to restore floodplains as part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

News Release
FEP Fact Sheet
Virginia Application
Geographic Rate Cap Map
Landowner Offer Worksheet
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$20 Million in Grants Available to Inspire Innovation

 NRCS has announced that $20 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is available for projects designed to develop and refine cutting-edge technologies and approaches that can help producers maintain viable agricultural operations. The deadline for applications is March 20, 2009.

The Bobwhite Quail inVirginia

Virginia NRCS is partnering with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to promote a plan for quail conservation across the state. The Bobwhite Quail is a legacy species in Virginia and their decline has led to concerns about ecological, economic and recreational impacts throughout rural Virginia. The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative calls for restoration of quail to 1980 population levels. Habitat development on private land is the only way to restore the population across the landscape. Financial assistance for habitat improvement is available to qualifying private landowners through the USDA Farm Bill Programs. For more information, use the links below: