# Presentation: 711781

## NRCSConservation Programsin Nebraska

**Don Thober**** ****(Assistant State Conservationist for Programs)**

## NRCS Conservation Programs

**Environmental Quality Incentives Program**
**Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program**
**Wetlands Reserve Program**
**Grassland Reserve Program**
**Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program**
**Conservation Security Program**

## Environmental QualityIncentives Program(EQIP)

## EQIP

**Provides assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resource concerns on:**
**Cropland**
**Grazing lands**
**Wetlands**
**Wildlife land**
**Other agricultural land**

## EQIP

**Promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals**
**Optimizes environmental benefits**
**Helps farmers and ranchers meet environmental requirements**

## EQIP

**Cost share payments**
**Up to 75% for structural and vegetative practices**
**Up to 90% for beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers **
**Incentive payments for land management practices**

## EQIP

**Resource Concerns in Nebraska**
**Grassland**
**Water Quality**
**Water Quantity**
**Soils**
**Wildlife Habitat**
**Wetlands**
**Air**

## EQIP

**FY 2004 Decisions**
**20% of Allocation to AFO’s**
**Option to shift 20% of funds to GSWC**
**Clarifying Ranking Items**
**Modifying Ranking Points**
**Natural Resources Areas of Concern**
**Local Ranking Factors**
**Special Practice Requests**
**Organic Crop Production**
**Unique Rotations (1 of 3 years irrigated)**

## EQIP

**Cost share payments in Nebraska**
**50% for most conservation practices**
**Option for 75% on some practices**
**Based on LWG input**
**30% for sprinkler systems and subsurface drip irrigation**
**20% increase for beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers**

## EQIP

**Incentive payments in Nebraska**
**Converting irrigated to dryland**
**Cropland, Pasture, Range, Wildlife**
**No Till / Strip Till Farming**
**Irrigation Water Management**
**Nutrient Management**
**Pest Management**
**Waste Utilization**

## EQIP	

**Ranking of Applications**
**General (NRD based)**
**All applications except:**
**Irrigation**
**Animal Feeding Operations**
**GSWC – Water Savings (NRD based)**
**AFO – Waste Management (statewide)**
**Website:**
**www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/EQIP**

## EQIP

**Fund Allocations FY2004**
**Initial                                 $ 23,504,300**
**Incentive Award               $      750,000**
**Livestock Award              $      465,900**
**Total                        ****	**** $ 24,720,200**
**General      $14,963,300**
**GSWC         $6,653,800**
**AFO             $3,103,100**

## EQIP

**                            ****Applications      Approvals**
**General****	****	****2017****	****	****	****1164**
**GSWC****	****	****5580                         477**
**AFO****	****	****	****    87****	****	****	****    61**
**Beef    ****	**** 62**
**Swine ****	**** 17**
**Dairy    ****	****   8**
**Total****	****	****	****7684****	****	****	****1642**

## EQIP Trends

_**Year**_**        **_**Number**_**          **_**Acres**_**          **_**Funds**_
**1997            739             238,000    $5,300,000**
**1998            316             295,200    $3,900,000**
**1999            336             361,300    $3,800,000**
**2000            384             268,800    $4,700,000**
**2001            415             296,500    $4,300,000**
**2002            968             413,800  $12,200,000**
**2003          1258             600,000  $18,500,000**
**2004          1642             718,200  $24,720,200     **

## EQIP Trends – AFO’s

_**Year**_**        **_**Number**_**          **_**Funds**_
**2002              8             $    350,000**
**2003            50             $ 2,169,200**
**2004            61             $ 3,103,100**

## EQIP Trends – GSWC

_**Year**_**        **_**Applications**_**            **_**Pivots**_
**2002              5289                      175**
**2003              5839                      324**
**2004              5580                      354**

## Wildlife HabitatIncentives Program(WHIP)

## WHIP

**Encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support wildlife **
**Uplands**
**Wetlands**
**Riparian areas**
**Aquatic areas**
**Cost share payments**
**Up to 75%**

## WHIP

**Priorities**
**Native Prairie Renovation**
**Native Grassland Establishment**
**Riparian Area Improvement**
**Small Cropland Field Conversions**

## WHIP

**Key Changes in FY 2004**
**Added 3 Species of National Interest**
**Requiring Habitat Evaluation Scoring**
**Wildlife Biologist Concurrence of Plans**

## WHIP Trends

_**Year**_**        **_**Number**_**         **_**Acres**_**          **_**Funds**_
**1997             ----                ----               ----**
**1998              63             30,800       $576,000**
**1999              72             44,200       $515,800**
**2000             ----                ----               ----**
**2001              36             29,000      $303,700**
**2002              57             28,500      $520,000**
**2003              36               6,700      $405,000**
**2004              51               9,000      $570,000                          **

## WetlandsReserve Program(WRP)

## WRP

**Encourages restoration, enhancement, and protection of wetlands**
**10 year restoration agreements**
**30 year easements**
**Permanent easements**

## WRP

**Goal - 100,000 Acres by 2007**
**Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program**
**Team focused on wetlands (Syracuse)**
**Contracting for wetland restoration**
**45,100 acres on 317 contracts**
**54,900 acres to achieve goal**
**= 18,300 acres per year**

## WREP

**December, 2003 – Subcommitttee Meeting**
**Four Applications**
**Lower Missouri River Floodplain**
**June 30****th**** – USDA Announcement of First WREP in the Nation**
**Emphasizes Partnership Efforts and Corridor Value**

## WREP

**Goals – 18,800 acres**
**$24,000,000 USDA Funding**
**$4,000,000 in FY 2004**
**Partnership Commitments of $2,000,000 **
**Flexibility to Obtain Corridor Segments**
**Land Eligibility Adjacent to Missouri River**
**4:1 Upland to Wetland Ratio Eligibility**
**27 Contracts on 2,881 acres in FY 2004**

## WREP

## WRP & WREP Trends

_**Year**_**        **_**Number**_**          **_**Acres**_**          **_**Funds**_
**1997              13               2,000    $1,400,000**
**1998              10               4,100    $2,000,000**
**1999              21               2,200    $2,600,000**
**2000              38               4,100    $5,000,000**
**2001              32               4,700    $7,000,000**
**2002              39               4,400    $7,300,000**
**2003              50               5,700    $8,000,000**
**2004****	****             65              10,000   $9,500,000**

## GrasslandReserve Program(GRP)

## GRP

**Goal – Restore and protect grassland under threat of conversion**
**10, 15, 20, and 30 year contracts**
**30 year and permanent easements**

## GRP

**Ranking of applications based**
**Risk of Conversion**
**Plant Community**
**Tallgrass prairie**
**Applications in 2004**
**269 applications**
**186,500 acres**
**$29,502,000**

## GRP Trends

_**Year**_**        **_**Number**_**          **_**Acres**_**          **_**Funds**_
**2003               6               1,500    $ 1,349,000**
**2004             11               1,540    $ 1,496,400**

## Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

**Goal - Protect prime and important land from conversion to non-agricultural uses**
**Matching funds to organizations with existing protection programs**
**Easements - perpetual**
**Easements held by organization**
**Landowners retain rights for agricultural use**

## Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

**Received 2 Applications for $600,000**
**FY 2004 Allocation = $86,500**
**Additional          = $432,000**
**Total                    =$518,500**
**Established Ranking Criteria**
**Soils of Statewide Importance**
**UNL – Conservation Survey Division**

## ConservationSecurity Program(CSP)

## CSP

**Payments to landusers who practice good stewardship**
**Incentives to those who want to do more**
**Lower Little Blue Watershed**
**Land in Nebraska and Kansas**
**National allocation pool**
**FY 2004 Funds - $41,000,000**
**Nebraska - $589,200 on 70 contracts**

## CSP

**70 Contracts approved**
**51 Jefferson County**
**14 Thayer County**
**  ****5 Fillmore County**

## FY 2004 Allocations - Initial

_**Program**_**             **_**FY 2003**_**       **_**FY 2004**_**     **_**Increase**_
**EQIP-General $11,346,500  $19,069,700    68%**
**EQIP-GSWC   $ 4,765,900   $ 4,434,600     - 7%**
**WHIP               $    405,000   $    570,000      41%**
**WRP                 $ 6,500,000   $ 5,500,000    -15%**
**GRP                  $ 1,349,000   $ 1,496,400      11%**
**FRPP                $    374,000   $      86,500     -77%**
**Total                $24,740,400   $31,157,200     26% **

## FY 2004 Allocations - Final

_**Program**_**             **_**FY 2003**_**       **_**FY 2004**_**     **_**Increase**_
**EQIP-General $13,267,200  $20,285,600     53%**
**EQIP-GSWC   $ 4,765,900   $ 4,434,600     - 7%**
**WHIP               $    405,000   $    570,000      41%**
**WRP                 $ 8,000,000   $ 9,500,000      19%**
**GRP                  $ 1,349,000   $ 1,496,400      11%**
**FRPP                $               0  $     518,500**
**CSP                   $               0  $     589,200**
**Total                $27,787,100   $37,394,300     35% **

## Other Programs

**NSWCP**
**NRD Cost Share**
**NBSP**
**PL566 Watershed**
**Watershed Rehabilitation**
**CRP – Administered by FSA**
**ECP – Administered by FSA**

## Technical Service Providers (TSP)

**Online at **_[http://techreg.usda.gov](http://techreg.usda.gov/)_
**FY 2003 Activity**
**TSP’s in Individual Contracts              0**
**NRD Contribution Agreements           21**
**Other Contribution Agreements           3**
**A & E Services Contracts                      3**
**Cooperative Agreements                       0**

## Technical Service Providers (TSP)

**FY 2004 Activity**
**TSP’s in Individual Contracts                25**
**82 Registered Providers in Nebraska**
**NRD Contribution Agreements              25**
**Other Contribution Agreements              5**
**A & E Services Contracts                         7**
**Competitive Cooperative Agreements    4**

## State Technical CommitteeSubcommittees

**CSP Subcommittee**
**EQIP Subcommittee**
**FRPP Subcommittee**
**GRP Subcommittee**
**TSP Subcommittee**
**WHIP Subcommittee**
**WRP Subcommittee**

## STC Subcommittees

**Provide Input on Conservation Programs**
**Objectives & Procedures**
**Ranking Worksheets**
**Practice List**
**Cost Share Rates**
**Local Work Group Efforts**
**Allocation Formula**

## State Technical CommitteeSubcommittees

**Fall Meetings:**
**CSP Subcommittee****	****	****  9/03/04**
**EQIP Subcommittee****	****	****  9/23/04**
**WHIP Subcommittee****	****	****10/25/04**
**GRP Subcommittee****	****	****10/25/04**
**WRP Subcommittee****	****	****10/26/04**
**FRPP Subcommittee****	****	****10/26/04**

## What’s Ahead?

**EQIP**
**Administration to NRCS**
**Protracts – online contract management**
**Minimal changes in procedure for FY 2005**
**National ranking template for FY 2006**
**Animal Feeding Operations**
**NDEQ Water Quality Initiative**
**NDNR Water Quantity Initiative**
**Invasive Species Initiative**

## What’s Ahead?

**CSP**
**1/8 of state eligible in FY 2005**
**Location announced by Secretary**
**WRP/WREP**
**Increased opportunities for wetland restoration with partnership emphasis**

## What’s Ahead?

**WHIP**
**At risk species emphasis**
**Biologist positions = promotion**
**FRPP**
**Encourage more applications**
**Soils of Statewide Importance Eligibility**
**GRP**
**Emphasis on most critical areas**

## The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effortto help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.

** **
**www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov**