2004 Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Local Work Group Summary for Clayton

Introduction: 

The Clayton Field Office serves both the Northeastern and Ute Creek Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Union County lies in the extreme northeastern corner of the state and encompasses approximately 2,400,000 acres. The Roy F.O. has the lead in conservation matters for the Ute Creek Conservation District. Of this amount, about 133,000 acres lies within the Ute Creek Conservation District. Land use acreages are as such: Rangeland-2,109,752 ac., Irrigated Cropland-70,000 ac., Dry Cropland- 8,880 ac., Woodland-5,000 ac., Animal Feeding Operations-6, and of the Ogallala Aquifer 65,000 ac. A large portion of the rangeland is deteriorating because of the encroachment of vast amounts of pinon-juniper throughout our rangelands. The vast majority of these lands are either private or state lands.

Local Work Group

A meeting of the Local Work Group was held in the afternoon of Wednesday December 17, 2003. It was explained to the group the purpose of the EQIP program, what their responsibilities were and how their input was important to the overall success of the conservation effort in Union County. We discussed what they perceived as the resource concerns of Union County, proposed cost share rates and the practices that they deemed important to landowners. There were 15 people in attendance.

Represented members were from NRCS, FSA, the Northeastern Conservation District, the COC, and all members of the County Commission. Other invited members of the Local Work Group chose not to attend. The group had the opportunity to review the proposed cost docket, proposed cost share rates, how the money was allocated to Union County, land use acreages of Union County, and the proposed ranking sheets for the various land uses.

Priority Resource Concerns

The Local Work Group had the opportunity to review past year’s resource concerns and decided to retain all enduring concerns. Those concerns were the general health decline of grazing lands, the invasion of pinon- junipers into the rangelands and the declining Ogallala Aquifer water quanities. Water quanities in general are a concern and the use of natural windbreaks such as trees were recommended as a measure against the constant winds for erosion control as well as an energy savings device.

Funding Considerations

The following land uses, and or resource concerns and the percentages of funding allocations that were considered for cost share in Union County for Fiscal year 2004 are as follows. Rangeland- Brush Management -40 %, Rangeland- Rangeland Health and Improvements- 30%, Dry Cropland- 1 %, Windbreaks- 5 %, Confined Animal Feeding Operations- 12 %, and Irrigated Croplands- 12 %.

Cost Docket: Please refer to the Cost Docket link for specific information.

Eligible Practices - Please refer to the Eligible Practices link for specific information.

Cost Share Rate and Incentive Payments - Refer to link for specific information.

The cost docket was presented to the LWG as a range from 30% to 75%. Upon discussion about cost docket amounts it was determined by the LWG that 65% would be used for all cost shared practices expect incentive payments. The 65% amount was arrived upon the basis to get program participation and to stretch money out. It was discussed that when the cost share percentage was set at 50% we did not get very good participation from the general public.It is felt that 65% acts as an incentive to get people involved whereas 50% cost share does not have the same effect. An incentive payment available for the coming year will be deferred grazing to be used only for the sole purpose of building fine fuels for prescribed burns in pinon-juniper rangelands. This will be set at $8.00 per acre.

Ranking Criteria - Please refer to the Ranking Criteria links for specific information.

Timelines, Evaluation Periods

Please refer to the EQIP Application Information link for specific information.

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