|
| | 2006 Environmental Quality Incentive
Program
Local Work Group Summary for Grants
Introduction:
The 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 Cebolleta Land Grant, Cubero Land Grant, 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 SWCD and 559,582 are in McKinley County. Federal Lands,
including BLM 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 dryland 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 Hayland 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, BIA, BLM, NMDA Field Representative, County Extension
Service, EID, NM State Land Office, local City and County Governments, Rio San
Jose Flood Control District, 9 Irrigation Groups, NM State Engineers Office,
USFWS, and 2 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. One meeting was 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 6 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. Resource concerns were
reviewed and discussed, no changes were made. The number one priority is still
grazing lands– inclusive of Grazing Management with the number 2 priority being
Water Resources – inclusive of irrigated croplands, pasture
and hayland, and orchards. Other concerns discussed included
natural resources education, beginning farmers and ranchers, and limited resources farmers, lack
of funding, and erosion control. As the meeting came to an end, getting conservation on the land
and simplifying paperwork were 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. It
was agreed by the LWG members that these two categories will capture most of the
resource concerns with the SWCD service area and will apply to both Tribal and
non-Tribal lands. 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:
80% of the funding will be allocated to the Grazing resource concern and the
remaining 20% of the funding will be allocated to the Water resources concern
for both the Tribal and Non-Tribal funds.
Cost Docket:
The 2005 coast docket was reviewed and discussed with no recommended changes
for FY 2006. However, recommendations from adjacent work groups will be
considered and the cost lists will be updated as appropriate.
Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view
the final practices, cost share rates and component costs.
Eligible Practices:
Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view
the final practices, cost share rates and component costs.
Cost-Share Rates, Incentive Payments, and Caps:
The Local Work Group will use the cost-share rates designated in the cost
docket as recommended by the NRCS-SO. Incentive payments were not recommended
by the Local Work Group for 2006.
Please refer to the links for the cost docket and eligible practices to view
the final practices, cost share rates and component costs.
Ranking Criteria:
It was agreed by the Local Work Group that no changes to the ranking criteria
were needed for FY 2006.
Please refer to the ranking criteria links to view the final approved
criteria.
Timelines, Evaluation Periods:
All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by January
27, 2006.
< Back to EQIP County
Documents |
About Us
