Press Release: NRCS Announces Emergency EQIP Sign-Revised

For Immediate Release

April 29, 2020

Contact: Laura T. Anderson, Public Affairs Officer

Phone: (601) 863.3922

Email: laura.t.anderson@usda.gov

NRCS Announces Emergency EQIP Sign-Up

Jackson, Miss. –The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has funds available for landowners in flooded and disaster impacted areas in Mississippi. This funding is provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a financial assistance program included in the Farm Bill. EQIP allows NRCS to work with landowners to implement conservation practices and to provide an incentive payment to landowners. The deadline for applying for assistance with the EQIP Emergency Sign-up is May 8, 2020.

The key eligible conservation practices addressed in the EQIP Emergency Sign-Up are as follows:

Practice Code               Practice Name

338                                 Prescribed Burning

342                                 Critical Area Planting

356                                 Dike

362                                 Diversion

368                                 Emergency Animal Mortality Management

382                                 Fence

394                                 Firebreak

410                                 Grade Stabilization Structure

442                                 Irrigation System Sprinkler

460                                 Land Clearing

484                                 Mulching

490                                 Forest Site Preparation

516                                 Pipeline

561                                 Heavy Use Area Protection

580                                 Streambank Stabilization

587                                 Structure for Water Control

600                                 Terraces

612                                 Tree/Shrub Establishment

614                                 Watering Facility

666                                 Forest Stand Improvement

All counties in Mississippi will be eligible to participate in this program. However, priority counties are listed below.

• Priority will first be given to the presidential declared counties as outlined on the FEMA disaster report. These counties are: Bolivar, DeSoto, Choctaw, Clay, Oktibbeha, Panola, Prentiss, Sunflower, Tishomingo, and Washington.
• Due to the severity of the April 12^th storm the following counties have been added to the first priority list: Carroll, Chickasaw, Clarke, Coahoma, Grenada, Humphreys, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lafayette, Lawrence, Leake, Lowndes, Montgomery, Newton, Noxubee, Quitman, Rankin, Sharkey, Smith, Tate, Walthall, Wayne, Yazoo* additional counties may be added as MEMA updates their affected counties report.
• Second priority will be given to those counties identified by MEMA as counties adversely affected by the disaster. MEMA has identified the following: Alcorn, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Covington, Itawamba, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Leake, Lee, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Scott, Simpson, Smith, and Tippah Counties.
• Our third priority will be counties identified by the Farm Services Agency (FSA) as qualifying for disaster assistance. These counties are as follows: Attala, Bolivar, Carroll, Choctaw, Clarke, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Jasper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Montgomery, Neshoba, Panola, Simpson, Tallahatchie, Tate, Winston, and Yazoo.

All applicants will need to meet all EQIP eligibility requirements. Farmers who receive assistance under the Farm Service Agency- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) are not eligible to receive financial assistance for the same exact conservation practice in the same location through the EQIP program. See local NRCS office for details.

With this emergency assistance, NRCS will target early fall practice implementation. Landowners must implement all scheduled practices according to NRCS standards and specifications in a timely manner due to the emergency circumstances.

“NRCS is dedicated to assisting landowners during hardship. This funding will help Mississippi farmers get back to production after the storms. These funds are available on cropland, pastureland, confined animal feeding operations and forestland,” said Kurt Readus, state conservationist.

The deadline for applying for assistance with the EQIP Emergency Sign-up is May 8, 2020. USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone, and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS, Farm Service Agency, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their local NRCS office to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

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