NRCS Assistance for Catastrophic Fire Recovery, Conservation Planning
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on Friday that applications will be accepted to assist private landowners of forestlands and rangelands in California affected by recent catastrophic wildfires in the last 18 months with immediate resource protection.
Applications for this initiative, funded by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can be submitted for primary consideration and ranking through Nov. 15, 2013.
The Catastrophic Fire Recovery EQIP Initiative addresses prioritized concerns such as protecting immediate soil erosion, minimizing noxious and invasive plant proliferation, protecting water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, bringing back forests, and restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management.
Additionally, EQIP has continuous sign-up for the voluntary conservation planning and technical assistance program, and applications can be submitted throughout the year. An EQIP application received by Nov. 15, 2013, will be considered for FY 2014 funding, and applications received after Nov. 15, 2013, may be considered later in the year depending on funding availability.
Interested applicants are encouraged to request from a local NRCS field office to help with the development of a conservation plan.
In order to be considered eligible for EQIP, the applicant must have a vested interest in production agricultural or non-industrial private forestland and meet other program eligibility requirements.
EQIP, NRCS’s largest conservation program, helps eligible producers plan and implement conservation practices that address a wide range of natural resource concerns and provide opportunities to improve soil, water, plant, animal, air and related resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland.
NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water and other natural resources since 1935.
