EQIP Signup for Cranberry Production - 2004

Sign-up Ended June 25, 2004

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) signup for cranberry production will be held on a statewide basis. 

Cranberry growers interested in EQIP assistance for conservation work are encouraged to sign up immediately.  The official EQIP Signup for Cranberry Production ran from May 24, 2004, through June 25, 2004. 

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for financial assistance, through EQIP, for conservation on cranberry production systems, the applicant must be determined to be an eligible producer by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).  The land on which the proposed EQIP practices will be applied must also be determined eligible by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Eligible land for the cranberry production signup is land that has a resource concern (see “Priority Resource Concerns” below), identified by a certified conservation planner, which will be addressed by the proposed conservation practice(s).  This land must also be in active cranberry production or directly associated with the production of cranberries. 

Interested producers must complete and sign all necessary forms prior to the end of the ranking period. The Conservation Program Application/Contract (form CCC-1200) is the official application form, and is available at USDA Service Centers or can be obtained on-line.  The Farm Service Agency will require the completion of certain forms in their determination of producer eligibility (including a version of the form CCC-502) and in their determination of compliance with Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Farm Bill (form AD-1026). 

To be eligible for EQIP financial assistance, the producer must not have started the practice(s) prior to having an EQIP contract approved by a Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) representative.

Developing an EQIP Contract

Applicants who rank high enough to be selected for plan development and contracting must develop a conservation plan with a certified conservation planner.  The conservation plan will outline the practices that will be included on the contract, and will include a preliminary schedule for implementing practices.

A cost-shared practice must be started within 12 months of contract approval by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) representative.  Once begun, the producer is expected to make continuous progress towards implementation.  Failure to commence a practice within 12 months of contract approval will result in contract termination unless circumstances beyond the producer’s control prevented the start of the practice.

Priority Resource Concerns

The Cranberry Work Group has identified surface & ground water quality, and water conservation as the primary resource concerns on cranberry production systems in Wisconsin.  Available EQIP financial assistance resources will be targeted to address these primary concerns and will contribute to address the following specific EQIP Resource Concerns, as identified by the Cranberry Work Group:

• (WS1) Surface Water Quality – Nutrients and (WG1) Ground Water Quality - Nutrients,
• (WS3) Surface Water Quality – Pesticides and (WG3) Ground Water Quality – Pesticides,
• (WS8) Surface Water Quality – Streambank and Shoreline Erosion and Degradation,
• (WS10) Surface Water Quality – Other [temperature], and
• (WQ9) Water Quantity – Other [inefficient use of water supplies]. 

Only practices that address at least one of the above listed EQIP resource concerns will be eligible for financial assistance through the Statewide Cranberry sign-up.

Forest health and wildlife habitat quality were additional concerns that were considered by the Cranberry Work Group.  Other programs will be used to address these concerns.  Available programs include the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and other federal, state, and local programs.

Applicants for the statewide EQIP sign-up for cranberry production are not prohibited from also applying for EQIP assistance through the local, county-level EQIP funding pools or the statewide Animal Waste Storage funding pool.  Separate applications for the same conservation practice(s) on the same land are not permitted.  And, the separate applications must be consistent with the requirements of the individual funding pools. 

Ranking and Funding of Applications

Scoring of all eligible applications will be done after the cutoff date for accepting applications has passed.  Scoring of the applications will be based upon the EQIP FY 2004 Ranking Sheet, Cranberry Conservation, Wisconsin Statewide Signup.  Applications will be selected for plan development and contracting in ranked order according to the scoring results as available funds allow.  If insufficient funds are available to fund all eligible applications, the remaining applications will be retained and may be re-ranked with additional applications if another application ranking period is announced in FY 2004.

How to Apply

Interested agricultural producers may apply at any Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.  Applicants may also request EQIP assistance by telephone, FAX, e-mail, via the internet, or by letter.  Contact your local USDA Service Center for more information.  Applications will also be accepted at the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association (WSCGA) office, where an NRCS conservationist is staffed.  The street address for the WSCGA is 132 E Grand Ave., Suite 202, and the mailing address is P.O. Box 365, Wisconsin Rapids, WI  54495-0365.  The WSCGA telephone number is (715) 423-2070, and the fax number is (715) 423-0275.

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