USDA Announces Additional $56.8 Million for Conservation Programs in 43 States
WASHINGTON, January 25, 2006— USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight today announced that $56.8 million in funding for conservation programs has been provided to 43 states for their high levels of participation and performance in implementation of four conservation programs in fiscal year 2005.
“These performance bonuses are possible because of a cooperative effort between federal, state and local groups and individuals with the common goal of helping people help the land,” said Knight. “The conservation ethic and hard work of people who live on and work the land as well as others in the agriculture community made these awards possible.”
Performance incentives are awarded to states that achieve a high level of program efficiency and optimize environmental benefits. These payments bring more participation in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation programs and provide more conservation benefits for producers and communities.
Programs awarding incentive bonuses and the amount of these bonuses are:
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)--$38,517,615: EQIP assists
farmers and ranchers to improve soil, air and water quality and other related
resources on private working lands.
• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)--$9,765,000: WRP helps landowners restore,
enhance and protect wetlands through permanent easements, 30-year easements and
restoration cost-share agreements. The program maximizes wildlife habitat and
wetland functions and values.
• Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)--$4,343,229: FRPP provides
matching funds to state and local governments and non-governmental organizations
to purchase conservation easements.
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)--$4,183,326: WHIP offers technical
and financial assistance through long-term agreements to create, restore and
enhance wildlife habitat for upland wildlife, wetland wildlife, threatened,
endangered or at-risk species and fisheries as well as other types of wildlife.
USDA-NRCS considered factors such as effectively addressing national priorities, strategic planning and program implementation, addressing state and local resource concerns, program delivery effectiveness, use of technical service providers and contracts with limited resource farmers and ranchers.
In addition to the federal dollars, cooperative conservation on private land is
supported by contributions from state and local sources, tribes, conservation
districts and nongovernmental organizations, as well as from landowners who
implement conservation practices and resource management systems.
Following is a state-by-state list of the performance incentive funding:
| STATE | FRPP Performance Bonus | EQIP Performance Bonus | WHIP Performance Bonus | WRP Performance Bonus | Total |
| ALABAMA | $0 | $1,499,189 | $0 | $0 | $1,499,189 |
| ALASKA | $0 | $1,729,833 | $0 | $0 | $1,729,833 |
| ARIZONA | $0 | $1,383,866 | $0 | $0 | $1,383,866 |
| ARKANSAS | $0 | $1,845,155 | $0 | $518,766 | $2,363,921 |
| CALIFORNIA | $0 | $0 | $0 | $581,939 | $581,939 |
| COLORADO | $260,594 | $1,153,222 | $362,335 | $0 | $1,776,151 |
| CONNECTICUT | $173,729 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $173,729 |
| DELAWARE | $173,729 | $1,499,189 | $230,577 | $0 | $1,903,495 |
| FLORIDA | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| GEORGIA | $0 | $922,578 | $0 | $0 | $922,578 |
| HAWAII | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| IDAHO | $0 | $2,075,800 | $0 | $0 | $2,075,800 |
| ILLINOIS | $260,594 | $0 | $0 | $367,321 | $627,915 |
| INDIANA | $0 | $0 | $0 | $781,677 | $781,677 |
| IOWA | $0 | $0 | $494,094 | $607,112 | $1,101,206 |
| KANSAS | $0 | $0 | $164,698 | $0 | $164,698 |
| KENTUCKY | $304,026 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $304,026 |
| LOUISIANA | $0 | $2,075,800 | $0 | $846,246 | $2,922,046 |
| MAINE | $0 | $1,499,189 | $0 | $0 | $1,499,189 |
| MARYLAND | $0 | $0 | $197,637 | $0 | $197,637 |
| MASSACHUSETTS | $390,891 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $390,891 |
| MICHIGAN | $217,161 | $0 | $0 | $889,590 | $1,106,751 |
| MINNESOTA | $0 | $0 | $329,396 | $510,980 | $840,376 |
| MISSISSIPPI | $0 | $1,499,189 | $362,335 | $568,431 | $2,429,955 |
| MISSOURI | $0 | $0 | $395,275 | $870,606 | $1,265,881 |
| MONTANA | $173,729 | $1,153,222 | $0 | $0 | $1,326,951 |
| NEBRASKA | $0 | $0 | $428,214 | $0 | $428,214 |
| NEVADA | $217,161 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $217,161 |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| NEW JERSEY | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| NEW MEXICO | $0 | $2,306,444 | $197,637 | $0 | $2,504,081 |
| NEW YORK | $173,729 | $0 | $0 | $876,952 | $1,050,681 |
| NORTH CAROLINA | $217,161 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $217,161 |
| NORTH DAKOTA | $217,161 | $1,960,477 | $263,517 | $494,863 | $2,936,018 |
| OHIO | $173,729 | $1,268,544 | $0 | $471,319 | $1,913,592 |
| OKLAHOMA | $0 | $2,075,800 | $0 | $375,519 | $2,451,319 |
| OREGON | $260,594 | $1,614,511 | $0 | $0 | $1,875,105 |
| PENNSYLVANIA | $173,729 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $173,729 |
| RHODE ISLAND | $173,729 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $173,729 |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | $0 | $1,845,155 | $0 | $0 | $1,845,155 |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | $0 | $1,153,222 | $0 | $0 | $1,153,222 |
| TENNESSEE | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| TEXAS | $217,161 | $1,383,866 | $461,154 | $0 | $2,062,182 |
| UTAH | $173,729 | $2,075,800 | $0 | $0 | $2,249,529 |
| VERMONT | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| VIRGINIA | $0 | $1,268,544 | $0 | $0 | $1,268,544 |
| WASHINGTON | $173,729 | $1,037,900 | $0 | $0 | $1,211,629 |
| WEST VIRGINIA | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| WISCONSIN | $217,161 | $0 | $0 | $1,003,679 | $1,220,840 |
| WYOMING | $0 | $2,191,122 | $296,456 | $0 | $2,487,578 |
| PACIFIC BASIN | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| PUERTO RICO | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| STATE TOTAL | $4,343,229 | $38,517,615 | $4,183,326 | $9,765,000 | $56,809,170 |
Additional information on conservation programs can be found at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.
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