2007 Environmental Quality Incentive Program

Local Work Group Summary for Albuquerque

Introduction:

The Albuquerque Field office is located at 6200 Jefferson NE, Room 125, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  More than 1,260,000 acres make up the land area that is included within the field office boundaries, which is split between two Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).  

Coronado SWCD is in southern Sandoval County and includes land owned by five Pueblos; Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Santa Ana, and Sandia, interspaced with a number of small agricultural communities; Peña Blanca, Algodones, Placitas, and Bernalillo.   The Ciudad SWCD is much more urbanized and serves land in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, Rio Rancho and the developing West Mesa, as well as the West face of the Sandia mountains. 

The field office works with close to 300 cooperators that irrigate approximately 23,000 acres of cropland, hayland, and orchards.  A number of small mountain communities use acequia systems to water the crops, while the balance of the irrigated acreage is serviced by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which diverts river water for agricultural uses.  Average farm size is 5-10 acres, with the majority of water users irrigating 1-2 acre pastures.  Another 50 to 75 cooperators make up the ranching industry in the area, which varies from less than a section of land and very small herd sizes, to a few large ranches that have not yet been subdivided or developed.

Local Work Group:

A Local Work Group (LWG) meeting was held August 16, 2006 at the NRCS Field Office in Albuquerque.  Historically, both Districts have worked together to convene the meeting as the natural resource concerns are very similar and USDA programs are administered by the same field office.  This year, the Ciudad SWCD served as host for the meeting.  Attending the meeting were twelve individuals representing five different agencies or groups.

Priority Resource Concerns:

The LWG reviewed resource concerns from FY 2006 and decided to keep the same items for FY 2007.  Organic farm operations and farm preservation are both highly valued as local conservation resources.

Irrigated cropland practices will continue to be implemented to reduce inefficient water use, surface water contamination, soil loss and plant health and productivity.  Grazing land improvements will target local rangeland resource concerns.  Bosque and wildlife habitat improvements will be achieved by removing invasive species.

Funding Considerations:

Funds will be distributed, initially, in the following manner on non-tribal land:

On tribal land, in the absence of any large feeding operations, the split will be 60% to cropland, 40% to rangeland. 

Cost Docket:

An area-wide cost-docket will be used for the Albuquerque Field Office.

Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view final approved practices, cost share rates and component costs.

Eligible Practices:

The same practices will be used this year as was used in 2006, please see attached list.

Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view final approved practices, cost share rates and component costs.

Cost Share Rates, Incentive Payments and Cap:

Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view final approved practices, cost share rates and component costs.

Ranking Criteria:

Please refer to the links for ranking criteria to view final approved criteria.

Timelines, Evaluation Periods: 

All applications and any supporting documentation must be submitted by November 3, 2006.

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