Natural Resources Conservation Service s34

NEWS RELEASE

Natural Resources Conservation Service P.O. Box 311  Auburn, AL 36830  Phone: (334) 887-4549  Web: http://www.al.nrcs.usda.gov ______

Contact: Julie Best, Public Affairs Specialist - 334-887-4549

NRCS Continues to Fund Special EQIP Projects

Auburn, Ala, December 8, 2005 – The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will continue funding four special projects under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP):

 Invasive Plants Management Project - The project will provide incentive payments to landowners willing to control the targeted invasive species (cogongrass, tropical soda apple, Japanese climbing fern, Chinese tallowtree, kudzu, non-native roses and privet) on their property. Incentive payments will be made to participating landowners for three years with contracts ranging from three to five years.  Poultry Liter Distribution Project - The project has two primary objectives: 1) to create an incentive to distribute litter to areas of the state that has historically not used litter, and 2) to promote a long-term market for litter as fertilizer around the state to maintain better distribution of the nutrients. This project is intended to fund incentive payments for three years for the hauling of poultry litter under a long-term agreement (LTA) contract.  Ground and Surface Water Conservation Project - This project is designed to promote ground and surface water conservation by providing incentive payments to producers to carry out eligible conservation activities in order to improve irrigation systems and/or enhance irrigation efficiencies.  Limited Resource Farms/Limited Resource Small Scale Farmer Initiative Project – The objective of the project is to increase participation in USDA voluntary conservation programs through a special initiative designed to address the farming operations of this group of producers. This project will provide funding and outreach assistance to Limited Resource Small Scale Farmers who play an important role in conserving our natural resources through traditional and non-traditional conservation methods.

These special projects for Alabama, designated by the NRCS State Conservationist, are funded by 2006 EQIP funds at the state level.

Money received from these projects count toward the $450,000 limit a farmer can receive in EQIP funds. Applications will be taken on a continuous sign-up basis. The date of the first batching period for state-wide and local concerns is January 6, 2006. Applications received after this date, will be deferred until the next allocation of funds. Interested applicants should contact their local Natural Resources Conservation Service office at ______(address and phone number) for further guidelines and details of the program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250- 9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.