OCC Partners on USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant / EQIP Project for Nutrient Management

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Accepting Applications through Feb. 15, 2013, for the Conservation Innovation Grant – Environmental Quality Incentive Program project in Oklahoma.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with the Delta Institute, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission has received funding for the Bringing Greenhouse Gas Benefits to Market: Nutrient Management for Nitrous Oxide Reductions CIG project. The funding is available for farmers in Blaine, Canadian, Grant, Harmon, Jackson, and Major Counties.  Applicants can apply by Feb. 15, 2013, at their local USDA-NRCS field service center.

Funding will be available to eligible landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS will provide technical and financial assistance for implementing the core practice of Nutrient Management as well as supporting the other eligible practices, including nutrient management, cover crops, crop rotations, and continuous no-till. The practices are designed to produce multiple benefits for farmers including improved soil health, water quality protection and reduced erosion.

The main focus for this project is to increase the efficiency of nitrogen applications, particularly through the use of Nitrogen Rich Strips, gather data for measuring the reductions in nitrous oxide emissions, and field-test NRCS’s COMET-FARM online tool. Results will be used to guide USDA policy and programs to improve incentives that encourage the voluntary adoption of conservation practices. Applications are due by Feb. 15, 2013. Additional information about the CIG-GHG project, area maps and conservation practices, are available at http://www.ok.usda.gov/programs. For application procedures contact your local NRCS field Office.