2006 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 October 26, 2005 at the San Antonio Mission in Placitas, NM.  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 Coronado SWCD served as host for the meeting.  Attending the meeting were seventeen individuals representing nine different agencies or groups.

Priority Resource Concerns:

The LWG reviewed resource concerns from FY 2005 and discussed additional items.  The following items were developed utilizing and concerns addressed at the LWG meeting.

1. Water  Quantity
2. Water Quality
3. Grazing Lands Improvement
4. Farm Preservation
5. Bosque Improvement and Wildlife Habitat Improvement.
6. Organic Farming.

Other issues that were raised at the LWG meeting included education local producers about NRCS programs, land eligibility requirements and barriers to limited resource farmers and ranchers. 

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.  Flexibility will be needed based on applications received.  Tribal applications will not compete separately, however, a certain percentage of funds (a minimum) will be earmarked for tribal lands.  That percentage will be determined by the NRCS state office.  Once those funds are allocated, the remaining tribal applications will be left to compete for the balance of the field office budget.

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 2005, please see attached list.  It is understood that the state has approved pumping plants for irrigation wells that are converting from surface (flood) to sprinkler or drip irrigation systems. 

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:

Cost share rates for practices that address priority resource concerns are again recommended to be set at 65%, as economic justification still exists today.  The smaller than average parcels that are being farmed and ranched in this field office typically do not generate the incomes that allow for conservation improvements to the land.  Though several are eligible for the Limited Resource Producer designation, many fall into the $40,000 to $50,000 household income range that still makes it hard to pay more than 25% of a $10,000 or $12,000 pipeline project (for example). 

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:

The ranking criteria used in 2005 will again be used this program year, with only minor changes to points awarded to conservation practices based on the identified priority concerns.  For 2006 organic farming will receive additional points. In the event that ties exist (same total points), then the tie breaker would be the application with the greatest number of practices identified in section 3 for irrigated cropland, and section 2 for rangeland.

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 January 27, 2006.

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