NRCS Announces Sign-Up Deadline for Three Programs

COLUMBIA, MO, November 17, 2004 – Missouri landowners interested in participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) or the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) should apply by January 14, 2005, to be eligible for the next round of funding, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced.

EQIP promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers receive financial and technical assistance to help install structural conservation practices and to implement management systems that promote conservation.

By signing WRP easements, landowners receive cash payments in exchange for restoring or converting marginal agricultural land to shallow wetland areas. They also agree to maintain the new or restored wetlands.

NRCS uses WHIP to provide technical expertise and cost-sharing to enhance habitat on eligible land for upland and wetland wildlife, threatened and endangered species, and other types of wildlife identified as rare or declining species. Many types of land, including grassland, woodland, wetlands, stream and riparian areas, agricultural land and non-agricultural land may be eligible for WHIP funds.

To sign up for EQIP, WRP or WHIP or to get more information about these and other NRCS programs, contact the NRCS office serving your county. Look in the phone book under “U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture,” or access this website: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=MO. You can also get information about NRCS programs online at http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

Missouri WRP contact information

Missouri EQIP contact information

Missouri WHIP contact information

Missouri News Releases