WAWG
The Washington state office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is launching a new voluntary Riparian Buffer Program in fiscal year 2023 that will compensate producers not only for things such as time, materials, labor and equipment required to install the buffers, but also for the income the land put into buffers would have produced.
According to NRCS in Washington, the program is intended to help salmon habitat by reducing sediment and lowering water temperatures and will be run through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. A new sign-up period was expected to be announced by the end of October. Producers are encouraged to contact their local NRCS office with any questions.
EQIP-CIC on hold
NRCS has placed their Environmental Quality Incentives Program-Conservation Incentives Contracts (EQIP-CIC) program on hold. More information will be provided as soon as possible.
The EQIP-CIC program is a voluntary conservation program administered by the NRCS that offers farmers, ranchers and nonindustrial private forest landowners financial and technical assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices and activities on working agricultural and forestry landscapes. Conservation Incentive Contracts offer conservation activities above and beyond EQIP practices, which producers can implement to address resource concerns. Unlike the Conservation Stewardship Program, EQIP-CIC doesn’t require the producer to enroll their entire operation to participate.
For questions, please contact Keith Griswold, NRCS in Washington assistant state conservationist for programs, at keith.griswold@usda.gov or by calling (509) 323-2971.