Application deadline for financial assistance is Nov. 20 (USDA/NRCS Florida) — Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Nov. 20 for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2021 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year. Through EQIP, …
USDA Funding Conservation Innovation in Florida
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced last week it is awarding $25 million in grants designed to help partners implement and evaluate innovative conservation practices that have demonstrated benefits on farmland. The funding, provided through On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials), is a component of the Conservation Innovation Grants program first authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Fourteen projects …
New Feature Allows Entities to Conduct Online Business with USDA
An update to farmers.gov now provides access to farmers and ranchers who are members of an entity, as well as individuals and entities with powers of attorney to conduct online business with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additionally, online services once available through NRCS’s Conservation Client Gateway (CCG) will be moved to farmers.gov in the coming weeks. “Here at …
Continuous Signup for NRCS Programs
From time to time we talk about signup deadlines for various programs through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). But NRCS wants to remind producers all of the programs it offers do have continuous signup. NRCS Acting Chief, Kevin Norton, wants you to know that includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). NRCS offers a …
USDA Announces Second Round of Funding for Feral Swine Program
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced this week it is accepting applications from non-federal, not-for-profit partners for projects to help agricultural producers and private landowners trap and control feral swine. This is all part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), where NRCS is making $12 million available. Applications for this second round of funding will …
NRCS, FEMA Collaborate to Provide Disaster Recovery Assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking part in a joint Interagency Coordination and Operations (ICO) plan that enhances collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities recover from natural disasters and related emergencies. The plan is designed to improve the coordination, communication, and training between the …
USDA Seeking Input for Agriculture Innovation Agenda
To further the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) work on the Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA has announced it is seeking public and private-sector input on the most innovative technologies and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Acting Chief, Kevin Norton, says USDA is taking public comments on ready-to-go technologies and practices. …
NRCS Investing Up to $360 Million in Partner-Driven Conservation
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to invite potential conservation partners to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). NRCS will award up to $360 million to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. Requests between $250,000 …
USDA Updates Conservation Provisions for Highly Erodible Land and Wetlands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published its final rule on determining whether land is considered highly erodible or a wetland. This final rule follows a focused effort by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve consistency and use of science in making determinations. This follows an interim final rule that was published Dec. 7, 2018, after which …
USDA Launches Strategy to Continue Conserving the Gopher Tortoise and its Critical Habitat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released its new 5-year plan to conserve the Southeast’s threatened gopher tortoise by focusing on the conservation and restoration of its key habitat, the longleaf pine forests. Acting NRCS Chief Kevin Norton told Southeast AgNet the fate of the gopher tortoise is linked to habitat quality, and efforts …