Web site - Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Incentives Program Sign up Now Underway

Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Incentives Program Sign up Now Underway - October 2007

September 17, 2007

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An incentive program aimed at supporting environmentally friendly pest management and conservation projects is now available for Pennsylvania growers.

Conservation cost share applications for the popular Environmental Quality IncentivesProgram (EQIP) are being accepted now through Nov. 2Oct. 30, 2007 at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices throughout Pennsylvania. If funding is still available, a second signup period at lower priority is available after that untiltill Nov. 30th. The program provides financial and technical assistance to growers interested in making voluntary improvements to natural resources on land they own or manage.

According to Barry Frantz, assistant state conservationist for programs with NRCS in Pennsylvania, the program offers a unique opportunity for Pennsylvania growers to obtain Federal cost share funding for conservation related projects, including IPM.

IPM, or integrated pest management, aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible.

During the yearsFrom 2004-2006, IPM practices were covered under another different program called the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA). “Since the program’s inception of AMA three years ago, over $1.2 million in IPM contracts for specialty crops including tree fruit, covering hundreds of acres have been awarded to fund IPM conservation practices. including reducing erosion, water and air pollution, and IPM.” Funding for IPM transitioned to EQIP in 2007 with $146,000 being awarded for tree fruit, Christmas trees and fresh market sweet corn,” says Frantz..

Sign ups for the 2008 EQIP season will be similar to 2007. A grower will submit a CC-1200 form available online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/PROGRAMS/EQIP or at a local NRCS office. “ At this stage, submitting a form just establishes interest in the program and the status of the applicant, but does not include the details of the specific practices a grower is interested,” Frantz explains.. “ Growers that pass an initial screening will be invited to participate in more detailed discussions on the specific programs for a ranking of resource concerns early in 2008. Funding levels and relative ranking of all applicants determines who is funded for the 2008 season.“

Frantz stresses the importance of having a conservation plan when applying for EQIP. "A conservation plan - which NRCS staff and Penn StatePSU? can assist with - helps growers assess the needs of the resources and schedule the best remedies on a timetable that makes sense for the landowner and for the land."

EQUIP assistance can be in the form of structures and conservation "hardware" such as irrigation or manure management facilities as well as incentives payments for proper management to achieve environmental benefits. Applications are ranked based on scores reflecting their environmental benefit to national, statewide and locally identified resource priorities as well as a cost efficiency calculation. Priorities for EQIP funding in 2008 include reductions of nonpoint source pollution, including pollution from pesticides, conservation of ground and surface water resource, and reduction of emissions and soil erosion.

According to Dr. David Biddinger, biological control specialist at Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, by incorporating IPM techniques into their operations, growers of tree fruit, grapes, sweet corn and Christmas trees can reduce energy use and environmental risk while maintaining the quality of their agricultural products. “IPM practices eligible for EQUIP reimbursement include biological mite control, reduced risk IPM, pheromone mating disruption, IPM scouting, precision application technology, and remote weather sensors to improve spray timing,” he explains.

Biddinger encourages all growers to look into this worthwhile program. “For producers that are willing to work with NRCS staff and find common ground, the rewards can be significant,” he says.

To apply for EQUIP assistance, growers need to fill out application forms that are available at their local NRCS office, or download them from Web site http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/PROGRAMS/EQIP/.For more information on EQIP and other NRCS programs, including a step-by-step guide on how growers can benefit from these conservation programs, visit Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/65.html.

The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://www.paipm.org/. To view our archived news releases, see Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/10.html.