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Poultry operation in Delaware

Poultry Environmental Assessment

Background: The 2018 Farm Bill provides flexibility for producers to use federal technical and financial assistance through NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to address new or expected resource concerns. However, the current Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) eligibility policy requires there to be an existing resource concern present on a farm at time of program application.

To provide the required assistance needed to address these new and expected resource concerns, Delaware NRCS in collaboration with NRCS National Headquarters, must execute a standalone poultry environmental assessment (EA).

Poultry Environmental Assessment Goal:

The desired outcome of the Poultry Pilot is to allow a new poultry producer to be able to apply for financial assistance through EQIP in advance of construction of the poultry houses and or the placement of birds in those houses.

Environmental Assessment Timeline:

June 11, 2022- First public participation meeting held. Location: Virtual and In-Person

Meeting documents: 

Delaware Poultry Pilot EA Meeting Presentation (1.49 MB)
DE Poultry Pilot Public Meeting Minutes (723.66 KB)

September 10, 2022- Technical Review of Phase I and Phase II Plan-Environmental Document

November 16, 2022 – Final Public Participation Meeting

Meeting document: 

DE Poultry Operations EA Stakeholders Meeting Notes (154.96 KB)

September -October 2023 Draft Plan – Environmental Document Public Review and 60-day Public Comment Period.

This Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to document the potential environmental impacts associated with new poultry farm operations that are constructed to state regulation requirements in Sussex County, Delaware. This EA is in support of the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which is intended to provide programmatic documentation for applicants that are not currently eligible to qualify for funding. This assessment was written as a programmatic assessment because it is for a class of actions, not just a single action. The EA has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, 40 CPR Parts 1500 and 1508, and the USDA NRCS Guidance for Preparing Environmental Assessments. 

Comments: Submit comments and inquiries on or before October 13,2023 to: 

Jayme Arthurs, State Resource Conservationist 
Natural Resources Conservation Service 
United States Department of Agriculture 
1221 College Park Drive Suite 100 
Dover, DE 19904 (302) 678-4191: Office 
Email: jayme.arthurs@usda.gov 

DE_Poultry Plan-Draft PEA Pub_Comment.pdf (253.81 KB)

November 2023- Publish Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)