SPOKANE, Wash. (June 16, 2008) – Conservation officials are reminding Washington agricultural producers that they have less than a month remaining to apply for financial and technical assistance through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

“Producers interested in receiving cost-share assistance for fiscal year 2009 have until July 15 to apply,” said Dave Brown, assistant state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Spokane.

While NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis, Brown said applications received by July 15 will be ranked for the initial funding selection. “Applications received after that date will be considered for future funding periods,” he said. “Consequently, we’re urging producers to get their applications to the local NRCS office on or before the July 15 cut-off date.”

EQIP is a voluntary, financial assistance program that helps fund on-farm conservation practices including those aimed at improving irrigation efficiency; managing nutrient run-off and/or animal waste; improving the health of native plant communities; and reducing soil loss. In most instances, producers who participate in the program pay for roughly half of the costs of the conservation measures or practices.

In 2006 and 2007, Washington agricultural producers qualified for more than $30 million in financial assistance through the program, according to the NRCS.

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