The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) wants to remind livestock producers affected by Hurricane Helene that signup continues for a new Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in 55 counties. Those producers applying for Hurricane Helene EQIP related assistance will need to apply by Friday, November 15th to ensure timely use of special funds made available due to the storm.
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.
Georgia NRCS 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.
Plus, NRCS-GA also extended the Fiscal Year 2025 EQIP statewide sign-up that will now conclude December 13, 2024.
For more information, contact NRCS at your local USDA service center.