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Texas Receives Additional $5 Million in Funding to Help Agricultural Producers Provide Assistance for Migrating Birds
Temple, Texas, July 20, 2010 – Texas Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Don Gohmert provided an update on the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI) today. With two weeks to go before the scheduled August 1st cutoff date for Fiscal Year 2010 funding, Texas landowners have shown vast interest in participating in the initiative.
NRCS in Texas originally received $750,000 for the initiative, but due to landowner interest, an additional $5 million in funding has been made available to landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP).
“We are grateful and proud of Texas farmers and landowners for stepping up to help with this issue that is of such importance to the state and nation,” said Gohmert.
Through the initiative, NRCS will partner with producers to manage portions of their land to provide additional food and habitat for migrating birds. It is estimated that 40-50 million birds migrate annually down the Mississippi Alluvial Valley to southern climates. Texas is mainly in the Central Flyway and on the western edge of the Mississippi Flyway.
To date Texas has received 98 applications for the initiative bringing the number of potentially impacted acres of land in Texas to 34,000.
“The application period will remain open until August 1st to ensure everyone interested in participating has a chance to be part of this initiative under the 2010 funding year and to make certain all available land has been identified so we can make the right ranking decisions.,” said Gohmert.
Through the agricultural lands component, NRCS will provide payment incentives for flooding existing farmed wetlands, prior-converted croplands, or other lands that can provide immediate habitat. EQIP and the WHIP help producers enhance habitat by flooding fields and establishing or maintaining vegetation for cover and food.
Priority areas in Texas are in Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Orange, Waller, and Wharton counties with secondary priority given to the adjacent counties that include Aransas, Austin, Fayette, Grimes, Jasper, Lavaca, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, Refugio, San Jacinto, Tyler, Victoria and Washington counties.
Eligible lands include wetlands farmed under natural conditions, existing farmed wetlands and prior converted croplands. Rice fields are particularly suited for this initiative, as are aquaculture farms no longer in production.
NRCS is working with several conservation partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, USA Rice, National Cotton Council, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
On June 22, NRCS announced the initiative to try to minimize the likelihood of southward migrating birds coming into contact with or using oil impacted areas. The initiative will also try to ensure adequate food sources are available to compensate for food resources that may be reduced, contaminated or eliminated because of the oil spill.
NRCS is a technical agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that works one-on-one with America’s farmers and ranchers, primarily on privately-owned lands, to help them in their efforts to improve and protect the natural resources. NRCS is celebrating 75 years of helping people help the land. Since 1935, the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners delivering conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests.
NRCS Urges Landowners to Sign-up Now for Conservation Stewardship Program
Applications will be accepted for FY 10 funding through June 11, 2010
TEMPLE, TEXAS, May 12, 2010 – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from Texas agricultural landowners for the next Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funding cycle that ends on June 11, 2010. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and those not received by June 11 will be considered for funding after Oct. 1, 2010.
“CSP supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas.
Congress limited enrollment for CSP nationally at 12.7 million acres per year. Applicants will compete within state-identified ranking pools, which in Texas are water quantity, soil erosion, plant health and condition, water quality, and animal health.
Producers are encouraged to apply for CSP now to ensure their applications will be considered during this funding and ranking period. However, they can make their final decision to participate in the program before they sign a contract. USDA expects the CSP final rule, which establishes the policies and procedures for the program, to be announced within the next several weeks.
CSP, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and who agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, rangeland and non-industrial forestland.
Potential applicants are encouraged to use the CSP self-screening checklist to determine if the new program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, contract obligations and potential payments. It is available from local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices or on the NRCS Web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp.html.
CSP offers two types of potential payments—an annual payment and a supplemental payment. The annual payment will be determined by estimating the environmental benefits produced by the conservation activities a producer installs and maintains. A supplemental payment is available to participants who receive an annual payment and adopt a resource-conserving crop rotation on cropland.
For more information about CSP, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp.html.
NRCS Accepting Applicaitons for Wetlands Reserve Program
TEMPLE, TEXAS, Feb. 17, 2010 – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from landowners interested in wetlands restoration through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). WRP is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Tribes to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring eligible land from agriculture.
“While Texas landowners have restored thousands of wetland acres through the program, changes made in the 2008 Farm Bill make WRP an even better investment,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas. “The new program rules make it easier for landowners to enroll acres and provide a better system for assessing the value of the land enrolled.”
The 2008 Farm Bill changes the process for determining the easement value, directing NRCS to pay the lowest of:
· the fair market value of the land according to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices or an area-wide market analysis;
· the geographic area rate cap as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture; or
· the landowner’s offer.
WRP offers three enrollment options:
· Restoration Cost-Share Agreement. This is an agreement for a minimum of 10 years in duration to reestablish degraded or lost wetland habitat. NRCS pays 75 percent of the cost of the restoration activity. This does not place an easement on the property. The landowner provides the restoration site without reimbursement.
· 30-Year Easement. This is a conservation easement lasting 30 years. Easement payments are 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. NRCS also pays 75 percent of restoration costs.
- Permanent Easement. This is a conservation easement in perpetuity. NRCS pays for the easement, as well as 100 percent of the costs of restoring the wetland.
Wetlands provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species; improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals; reduce flooding; recharge
groundwater; protect biological diversity; and provide opportunities for educational, scientific, and limited recreational activities.
For more information about WRP, contact your local NRCS office to determine if your land is eligible or visit the NRCS Texas Web site at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp.
Funding Available for Texas Grassland Owners starting Feb 1.
TEMPLE, TEXAS, January 12, 2010 – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications to participate in USDA’s Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), a $4.6 million conservation program in Texas.
“While GRP is open to anyone who owns grassland, we are giving priority consideration to threatened areas of Texas so ranchers can protect their land resources through rental agreements or perpetual easements,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist in Texas.
GRP is a continuous sign-up program, but landowners are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to be eligible for the initial funding cycle, which begins February 1, 2010.
The NRCS and USDA Farm Service Agency administer GRP, a voluntary program reauthorized in the 2008 Farm Bill to protect grazing uses and other related conservation values by restoring and conserving eligible grasslands and certain other lands through rental agreements and easements.
The enrollment options for GRP include:
- Rental agreements – 10, 15, or 20-year duration, USDA pays 75 percent of the grazing value in annual payments for the length of the agreement.
- Permanent easements – USDA makes payment based on the fair market value of the property less the grazing value.
Land that is privately owned is eligible for GRP. The land must be grassland for which the predominant use is grazing. Land that has been historically dominated by grassland and provides habitat for animal or plant populations of significant ecological value, or land that contains historical or archeological resources is eligible. Land previously enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program is eligible for GRP. Publicly owned land is not eligible or land already under protection from conversion to non-grazing uses is also not eligible.
For more information about GRP and conservation programs that may be available for conservation technical and financial assistance, visit the nearest USDA Service Center or visit the NRCS Texas Web site at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.
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