Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers voluntary conservation program opportunities to qualified West Virginia landowners. Applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and Agriculture Management Assistance Program (AMA) are accepted at any time. The next ranking cut-off is October 31, 2013. Applications submitted by this date will be evaluated and ranked to be considered for funding.
EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers through contracts up to a maximum term of ten years in length. These contracts provide financial assistance to help implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns which improve soil, water, plant, animal, air and related resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. In addition, a purpose of EQIP is to help producers meet Federal, State, and local environmental regulations.
WHIP is a voluntary program for conservation-minded landowners who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land. Funds are available for threatened and endangered habitat protection, stream habitat improvement, riparian area development, early successional habitat, and other declining and important wildlife habitat.
AMA provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations.
For more information and to apply for programs, please contact the NRCS at your local USDA Service Center listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture or your local conservation district. Information also is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/.
