NRCS ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $2.4 MILLION IN CONSERVATION FUNDS
FOR VIRGINIA
Richmond, VA, July 17, 2008 – The Natural Resources Conservation
Service today announced that an additional $2.4 million is available to Virginia
farmers through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This brings
the total EQIP funds for Virginia to more than $13.5 million for fiscal year
2008.
“This is the largest funding for EQIP that Virginia has ever
had,” says NRCS Assistant State Conservationist Ken Carter. “These new monies
will allow us to fund additional applications. Local NRCS staff are contacting
landowners now to let them know they have been approved for this year’s
program.”
EQIP is a voluntary program to help farmers address serious
environmental concern srelated to animal waste, grazing, and cropland.
Conservation practices installed with EQIP financial and technical assistance
provide important public benefits such as cleaner water, improved air quality,
healthy soils, and abundant wildlife.
EQIP offers incentive payments of up to 75 percent to help
producers install or implement structural and management practices on private
agricultural land. Limited resource producers and beginning farmers may be
eligible for up to 90 percent.
With the extra EQIP funding provided by Congress for this fiscal
year, USDA has provided a total of $1.2 billion to producers nationwide in 2008.
To date, approximately 38,000 farmers have signed contracts covering nearly 14
million acres. For additional information about EQIP, contact your local NRCS
office or check the NRCS website at
About Us
Back to Top