2003 Environmental Quality Incentive Program

Local Work Group Summary for Grants

Introduction:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Grants Field Office (FO) is located in the city of Grants in Cibola County in the Northwest quadrant of New Mexico. The field office services the Lava Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) which includes portions of Cibola, Catron, Sandoval, and McKinley Counties. Also, a portion of the McKinley SWCD in McKinley County is part of the service area. Included in Cibola County are the Acoma Pueblo and minor portions of Navajo Lands. Over 1.2 million acres of Private, State, and Tribal Lands are serviced out of the Grants FO. Approximately 661,000 acres are within the Lava Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and 560,000 are in McKinley County. Federal Lands, including Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service, also make up a good portion of the lands serviced by the Grants FO. These lands are important because many producers utilize allotments in these land statuses. Most of the area supports agricultural uses, with a majority of land being rangeland and used for livestock grazing. Irrigated and dry land cropland occur in small fields in valleys next to streams and arroyos throughout the field office service area. While most fields are small in size, the fields are culturally and economically significant. Pasture and hay land acreages make up the greatest portion of the acreage. Woodland plays a minor role in the local economy, where in the past it was very significant.

Local Work Group:

The Local Work Group is very diverse and made up of representatives from the Lava SWCD, NRCS, Pueblo of Acoma, Navajo Eastern Agency, US Forest Service, FSA, County Committees, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, NM Department of Agriculture Field Representative, County Extension Service, EID, NM State Land Office, local City and County Governments, Rio San Jose Flood Control District, nine Irrigation Groups, NM State Engineers Office, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and two Land Grants. Areas that are represented include the Cebolleta Land Grant, Cubero Land Grant, Pueblo of Acoma, Irrigated and Dryland Croplands, as well as those Federal, State, and Private Grazing Lands within the Grants Field Office Service area. Two meetings were held by the local work group to review resource concerns, establish priorities, application periods and deadlines, county component cost lists, ranking sheets, cost-share rates, fund distribution, eligible practices, coordination across field office boundaries, and state and national policies. Representatives from 10 to 15 of the groups and agencies attended and provided input at the Local Work Group Meetings. The Lava SWCD chaired the meetings. Review of the Lava SWCD’s Long Range Plan, Mission Statement and resource concerns from past Local Work Group meetings and stakeholders meetings took place at each meeting. Many resource concerns were brought up and discussed, combined, and prioritized. The number one priority was Rangeland – inclusive of Grazing Management with the number 2 priority being Water Resources – inclusive of irrigated croplands, dry croplands, and pasture and hayland, and water resources management. Other concerns discussed included natural resources education, small operators and limited resources farmers, lack of funding, too much regulation, erosion control and bureaucracy – working with other agencies. As both meetings came to an end, getting conservation on the land was the key focus.

Priority Resource Concerns:

Consensus was reached by the Local Work Group to have Rangeland (Grazinglands) as the number 1 priority and Water Resources the number two priority. Water Resources will include irrigated and dryland cropland, and pasture and hayland. The other resource concerns which were brought up and discussed, the Local Work Group members came to a consensus that the Grazing Lands and Water Resources would end up addressing those concerns.

Funding Considerations:

75% of the funding will be allocated to the Grazinglands Resource concern and the remaining 25% of the funding will be allocated to the Water Resources concern for both the Tribal and Non-Tribal funds.

Cost Docket: Refer to Cost Docket

Practices to be Eligible:

Eligible list includes those practices on the cost-share rate and incentive payment list.

Timelines, Evaluation Periods:

The evaluation period ended on May 2, 2003.  All applications received after that date will be processed for funding consideration in fiscal year 2004.

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