CLAY COUNTY EQIP OVERVIEW

  The Clay County USDA local work group (USDA-LWG) supports the locally led conservation effort in the delivery of conservation programs.  The USDA-LWG supports the process by coordinating USDA programs with other federal, state, and local programs to work independently and in combination, to provide an integrate solution addressing natural resource concerns.  The following is a brief overview of the process as it relates to EQIP.

  The USDA-LWG ensures that a conservation needs assessment is developed using community stakeholders’ input.  Utilizing the assessment the USDA-LWG will identify resource concerns, recommend practices, payment rates, cost-share levels and funding needs.  The group assists in multi-county coordination when resource concerns will be addressed across county boundaries.  The group will complete a comprehensive civil rights impact analysis documenting the potential percentage of landowner/operator participation by race, gender and national origin.  The impact analysis documents any positive or negative effects on socially disadvantaged program beneficiaries. 

  The above information is solicited by MS NRCS each year in a common format.  Following the submittals of local funding proposals, the State Conservationist will convene the State Technical Committee to review funding requests and make recommendations on ranking criteria, eligible practices and funding.  Any adopted recommendations to a county proposal will be returned to the county to incorporate into the county’s final approval proposal.

  As result of this process the following resource concerns have been approved for Clay County for FY 2003. The county allocation will be distributed as indicated below.

      1.       Water Quality – Sedimentation (Ranking sheet, Cost List, Eligible Practices)
2.       Grazing Lands (Ranking sheet, Cost List, Eligible Practices)
3.       Sustainable Forestry (Ranking sheet, Cost List, Eligible Practices)
4.       Water Quality - Animal Waste (Ranking sheet, Cost List, Eligible Practices)