NRCS Assistance for Catastrophic Fire Recovery, Conservation Planning
The
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on Friday that
applications will be accepted to assist private landowners of forestlands and
rangelands in California affected by recent catastrophic wildfires in the last
18 months with immediate resource protection.
Applications
for this initiative, funded by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) can be submitted for primary consideration and ranking through Nov. 15,
2013.
The Catastrophic Fire Recovery EQIP Initiative addresses prioritized concerns
such as protecting immediate soil erosion, minimizing noxious and invasive
plant proliferation, protecting water quality, fish and wildlife habitat,
bringing back forests, and restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for
grazing management.
Additionally,
EQIP has continuous sign-up for the voluntary conservation planning and
technical assistance program, and applications can be submitted throughout
the year. An EQIP application received by Nov. 15, 2013, will be considered for
FY 2014 funding, and applications received after Nov. 15, 2013, may be
considered later in the year depending on funding availability.
Interested
applicants are encouraged to request from a local NRCS field office to help
with the development of a conservation plan.
In
order to be considered eligible for EQIP, the applicant must have a vested
interest in production agricultural or non-industrial private forestland and
meet other program eligibility requirements.
EQIP,
NRCS’s largest conservation program, helps eligible producers plan and
implement conservation practices that address a wide range of natural resource
concerns and provide opportunities to improve soil, water, plant, animal, air
and related resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private
forestland.
NRCS
has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private landowners
and managers conserve their soil, water and other natural resources since 1935.
Labels: Applications due for NCRS Opportunities, EQIP, EQIP conservation planning, NRCS Assistance for Catastrophic Fire Recovery, NRCS Assistance for Conservation Planning, USDA