2004 Environmental Quality Incentive Program

Local Work Group Summary for Fort Sumner

Introduction:

Fort Sumner Field Office is located at 101 Stearns, Fort Sumner, NM.  The office is located within De Baca County, along Highway 60/84, in the Eastern part of the state.  Fort Sumner is 68 miles due west of Clovis, NM and 36 miles SE of Santa Rosa, NM.  Fort Sumner is an agriculture community with irrigated farm land in the valley and rangeland throughout the remainder of the county. Rangeland makes up 80% of the area with dry farmland and irrigated cropland making up the remaining 20%.

Local Work Group:

The Local Work Group (LWG) represented De Baca County with members from De Baca SWCD, Fort Sumner Irrigation District, NM State Land Office, FSA, NMSU-CES, BLM, New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish, and staff from NRCS.  The LWG met on December 15, 2003 to discuss the Farm Bill and the proposed EQIP program.  Sixteen participants met for 1½ hours going over the following information and providing valuable input into the locally led conservation effects in De Baca County.

Priority Resource Concerns:

The LWG agreed on the following priority listing of resource concerns for De Baca County and recommended they be addressed in the FY 2004 EQIP program:

1. Grazing Lands – Brush Management
2. Water Resources – Ditch Lining and gates
3. Other (Erosion Control, Wildlife/Wetland Habitat, T&E/At Risk Species)

Funding Considerations:

Allocation of funds was discussed and it was decided the allocation should remain as it was in the FY 2003 EQIP program and to be allocated as follows:

• Grazing Lands – 60%
• Water Resources – 40%

It was decided that the money would be able to move between these two resources.

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: 

The LWG recommended the following cost share rates for FY 2004-

Grazing Lands:          

• 65% Brush Management
• 50% Fences
• 50% Water Development
• 65% Soil Erosion Control
• 50% All other practices

Water Resources:     

• 65% Ditch Lining and Structure for Water Control (gates)
• 70% Irrigation Pipeline
• 50% Irrigation Land Leveling (W/ >100 cu. yd./acre)
• 50% All other practices

 All other practices: 50% Cost Share

Incentive Payments:  These were discussed and reviewed by the LWG with consensus not the assign any type of incentive payments to management practices.

Ranking Criteria:

The LWG reviewed and discussed the Ranking Criteria Worksheets for Grazing Lands and Irrigated Cropland.  The attached Worksheets and directions for use were presented and are recommended for the FY 2004 EQIP Program.

Grazing Lands

Section 1. Plants:  No changes were made by the FO in this section, the points were left the same as on the FY 2003 EQIP Ranking Sheets.

Section 2. Conservation Practices: The changes in this area are not significant, the brush management was divided into categories the reduce the number of ties.

Section 3. The LWG not only wanted to address brush management that would be adjacent to the Pecos River, but also to that which would be adjacent to a tributary of the Pecos River, so points were added in this section to address that.

Irrigated Cropland

Section 3. Conservation Practices: There were not any significant changes to this section.

Section 4. Other Considerations: There were no proposed changes to this section from the FY 2003 Ranking Sheet.

Timelines, Evaluation Periods:

Please refer to the EQIP Application Information link. 

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