Signatures on the Land

An overview of NRCS conservation accomplishments in Washington through fiscal year 2009

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided a wide range of programs and services to enable Washington landowners to implement various conservation practices and management activities in 2009.

According to NRCS State Conservationist Roylene Rides at the Door, these programs and services are providing Washington landowners with the technical and financial resources to help them protect and improve soil, water and air quality, as well as wildlife habitat.

“In fiscal year 2009,” Rides at the Door said, “landowners continued to use a wide range of conservation programs and services to affect positive change on the land.”

Rides at the Door said that thanks to the continued utilization of key conservation programs made possible through the 2007 Farm Bill, as well as NRCS’ conservation technical assistance activities (CTA), land owners improved irrigation efficiency on some 23,000 acres of land and improved soil quality on 224,000 acres.

In addition, she said individual conservation plans were written covering nearly a quarter of a million acres of grazing land and forest land in Washington. During the same year, the agency’s soil survey program mapped another 250,000 acres and converted three manuscripts to the Web Soil Survey tool.

“To assist agricultural producers address water quality and state regulatory issues,” she said, “NRCS developed 17 Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans while another 20 plans were applied.”

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Washington’s farmers and ranchers received more than $13 million in financial assistance, including some $1.7 million directed to help private forest landowners improve forest health.

“To protect 3,700 acres of important working farmland from development, the NRCS provided $5.8 million through the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program,” Rides at the Door said.

FY 2009 Conservation Accomplishments as a glance

Irrigation efficiency improved: 23,000 acres
Watershed conservation plans: 37
Cropland/grazing land conservation plans: 368,000 acres
Conservation to improve soil quality: 224,000 acres
Soil survey acres mapped: 250,000
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans: 17 written, 20 applied
Wetlands created, protected or restored: 550 acres
Grazing land and forest land protected through conservation: 249,000 acres
Cropland conservation applied to improve soil quality: 273,000 acres
Grazing land and forest land protected through conservation: 249,000 acres
Plant materials technical documents prepared and transferred to customers: 20
Cultural resources undertakings reviewed: 2,052
Omak Recovery Act funds to improve fish passage: $625,000
Water supply forecasts issued: 650

2007 Farm Bill Programs

While NRCS’ technical assistance provided the resources for sound conservation planning, a portfolio of voluntary conservation programs authorized in the 2007 Farm Bill provided financial and technical assistance funding to farmers and ranchers to implement needed conservation measures.

Following is a brief overview of some of those programs.

FY 2009 Conservation Programs as a glance

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
New contracts: 367
Acres: 163,000
Financial assistance: $13.4 million

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
New contracts: 57
Acres: 3,000
Financial assistance: $1.6 million

NEW Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Applications: 142
Acres: 176,000
Acres allocated: 183,000

Conservation Innovation Grants Program (CIG)
Number awarded: 2
Funding: $100,000

Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)
Parcels: 23
Acres: 3,695
Funding: $5.8 million

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
Agreements: 6
Acres: 237
Funding: $385,000

Conservation Security Program
Active contracts: 255
Acres: 370,000
FY ‘08 payments: $5.8 million

Floodplain Easement Program
Easements: 4
Acres: 280
Funding: $693,000
(not including restoration)

General Program Descriptions

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Through EQIP farmers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
WHIP provides financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and wildlife on private lands.

Conservation Security Program (CSP)
CSP provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands.

Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)
This program provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with state, Tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
WRP offers landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. Through this program, NRCS provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland restoration efforts.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
This program is intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production.

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For printer friendly version of 2009 "Signatures on the Land". (PDF; 447KB)

Washington NRCS 2009 "Signatures on the Land" - Slideshow

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