As a result of Hurricane Helene, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) has announced a new Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) related sign-up for livestock producers in 55 counties in Georgia and an extension of the Fiscal Year 2025 EQIP statewide sign-up that was announced on October 1, 2024.
Those livestock producers applying for Hurricane Helene EQIP related assistance will need to apply by November 15, 2024 to ensure timely use of special funds made available due to the storm. The statewide general EQIP sign-up extension will now conclude December 13, 2024.
“We realize many of our customers are hurting and focused on rebuilding their farms right now,” said Georgia State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph. “We hope this special sign-up and extension will give much needed relief in the way of funding and time to breath, for those who need it most.”
This Hurricane Helene EQIP related sign-up is limited to Emergency Animal Mortality Management (conservation practice code 368), and Waste Facility Closure, Soil Remediation (conservation practice code 360), and associated practices, and only to producers whose operations are located in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wheeler Counties.
NRCS-GA will be utilizing ACT NOW to process these Hurricane Helene EQIP related applications to deliver conservation faster. ACT NOW allows NRCS to immediately approve and obligate a ranked application that meets a minimum score threshold of 35. This means no longer having to wait for all applications to be reviewed and preapproved for these contracts to be awarded and get started. Applications selected through ACT NOW will be batched and processed in the order received.
NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round, but to be included in this funding batch, interested producers can apply at their local USDA Service Center.
More information on USDA conservation programs is available online at https://www.farmers.gov/conservation or https://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov.