Virginia Receives Additional Funds

Richmond, VA.—January 31, 2006 — The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia has received additional funds totaling nearly $1.3 million to help farmers conserve natural resources.  The funds are being provided under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program according to an announcement today by NRCS Chief Bruce Knight.

Doetzer says that this increased funding will allow many more farmers to put conservation on the land.  Sign up for EQIP, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and the Wetland Reserve Program just ended in Virginia on January 13.  NRCS expects to notify farmers and producers within the ten days whether or not their applications have been approved. 

Virginia NRCS State Conservationist M. Denise Doetzer said the funds were given to states which had achieved a high level of efficiency and optimized environmental benefits.  Doetzer said this makes a total of $13.1 million available to Virginia farmers for 2006, as compared to $11.5 million last year.  A total of $56.8 million was made available to 43 states including Virginia.

Doetzer said she is proud that Virginia was selected to receive these funds based on the state’s performance.  Factors used to determine recipients include effectively addressing national priorities, strategic planning and program implementation, meeting state and local resource needs, effectiveness of program delivery, use of technical service providers and contracts with limited resource farmers.

For more information on conservation programs, contact your local USDA service center.

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