|
| | 2004 Environmental Quality Incentive
Program
Local Work Group Summary for Los Lunas
Introduction:
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Los Lunas
Field Office is located in the west-central part of New Mexico. The office is
bordered by Socorro County on the south, Cibola County and Lucero uplift to the
west, on the east by the Cibola National Forest and Torrance County and on the
north by Bernalillo County. Los Lunas, is the county seat of Valencia County, is
on the Rio Grande and is about 11 miles north of Belen. The office encompasses
l.46 million acres, which includes Valencia County, portions of five other
counties: Bernalillo, Cibola, Sandoval, Socorro, and Torrance.
The elevation within the field office ranges from 4,700 feet
at the Rio Grande Valley to about l0, 000 feet a the crest of the Manzano
Mountains. Soils vary from shallow to deep, depending on the alluvial materials.
They range in texture from sand to clay and are generally
calcareous. The depth of the water table from the surface varies from a few
inches to a few feet, therefore, this depth should be considered for any
agricultural undertaking as well as current urbanization in the Rio Grande flood
plain area.
The annual rainfall is very limited in the lower elevations,
about eight inches to about l2 inches in the higher elevations. Forty percent of
the rainfall comes during the months of July, August, and September.
The growing season averages l83 days. The average date of
last killing frost is April 20; average date of first killing frost is October
20. Average lake evaporation is 60 inches per year.
The principal urban centers are: The Village of Bosque Farms;
the Village of Los Lunas; and the City of Belen. Also included in this field
office boundaries are the Isleta and Laguna American Indian Pueblos.
Local Work Group:
Membership on the EQIP Local Work Group includes SWCD
supervisors, Farm Service Agency County Office Chair, Bureau of Land Management,
U.S. Fish & Wildlife, N.M. Game & Fish, N. M. State Engineer, Forest Service,
Manzano District, N.M. Dept. of Environment, Southern Pueblo Agency, State Land
Office, Valencia County Commissioner, Pueblo of Laguna, and Pueblo of Isleta.
The local work group met to outline EQIP resource priorities,
review ranking criteria worksheets, cost-share rates, eligible practices, and
discuss funding allocations.
Priority Resource Concerns:
The local work group discussed and outlined the following
resource concerns to be address under the EQIP 2004 program:
Funding Consideration:
The local work group recommended that the Field Office
funding allocation should be targeted to the resource concerns as follows:
Cost Docket - Please refer to the Cost Docket link for
specific information.
After a brief discussion the Local Work Group encouraged the
NRCS office to work with adjoining field offices so there are no major
differences in cost share rates and cost per unit on high use practices.
Some of the high use practices are brush management, fence,
irrigation land leveling, irrigation system (trickle), irrigation water
conveyance, irrigation pipeline, tree and shrub establishment, livestock water
facilities (pipeline, tanks/troughs, pumping stations, wells, ponds).
Eligible Practices - Please refer to the Eligible Practices
link for specific information.
Cost Share Rate and Incentive Payments - Please refer to the
link
The LWG recommended all high value irrigation practices (land
leveling, pipeline, concrete-ditch lining, drip systems, water control
structures, etc. ) be cost shared at 75%. The LWG strongly believes that if
these practices are kept at 50%, most of the applicants will not be able to
install these practices on their own. All other practices, includung AFO
related practices, will be set at 50%. The LWG did not set any individual
practice financial assistance limit.
Ranking Criteria - Please refer to the Ranking Criteria
links for specific information.
Timelines, Evaluation Periods
Please refer to the EQIP Application Information link.
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