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NRCS News Releases
Final Draft Environmental Assessment for the Restoration of the Lower
Musconetcong River at the Finesville Dam to be presented
November 19, 2009 - The Final Draft Environmental Assessment for the
Restoration of the Lower Musconetcong River at the Finesville Dam,
prepared by USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, will be
presented at a public meeting on Tuesday, December 1st at the Bloomsbury
Fire Company RiverView Banquet Facility, 91 Brunswick Ave., Bloomsbury,
NJ, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. The assessment was developed in cooperation
with several Federal and State agencies and non-profit groups working
together as the Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership.
The Environmental Assessment considers the impacts of river restoration
alternatives relative to air quality, noise, water resources, sediment,
vegetation, aquatic resources, wetland resources, threatened and
endangered species, cultural resources, environmental justice, hazardous
waste and materials. Comments received following a public meeting held
last year and the subsequent comment period were used to identify local
concerns regarding river restoration in the Finesville vicinity.
Comments received at the December 1st meeting and written comments
submitted by December 29, 2009, will be incorporated into the final
version of the Environmental Assessment. A copy of the Final Draft
Environmental Assessment, the agenda for the December 1st public
meeting, and information about the Musconetcong at Finesville are
available online at
http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/watersheds/Musconetcong2008.html.
Participants in the Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership include
the Musconetcong Watershed Association, the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service, the US Fish &
Wildlife Service (FWS), American Rivers (AR), North Jersey Resource
Conservation and Development (RCD) Council, New Jersey Trout Unlimited (TU),
the NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), National Park Service (NPS), Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC),
private landowners and others.
Contact Barbara Phillips, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA, Natural
Resources Conservation Service at (732) 537-6044 or barbara.phillips@nj.usda.gov
for more information.
SOMERSET, November 13, 2009 – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host five public meetings throughout New
Jersey to introduce new opportunities for farmers available through Farm Bill
programs.
NRCS will feature the “new” Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP),
presenting details of program eligibility and estimated payments. Farmers who
agree to maintain conservation activities already underway on their operation
and who agree to undertake new conservation activities may be eligible. CSP is
available statewide and has an annual payment limitation of $40,000. Information
about CSP is available online at www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov and at all local NRCS
Field Offices.
FSA will highlight some new initiatives for 2010 including the Supplemental
Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) with payments up to $100,000, Average Crop
Revenue Election (ACRE) program, Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) with
incentives up to $45/ton, and Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL) for cold
storage facilities, hay barns for biomass storage, and grain structures. For
more information on programs from FSA, visit www.fsa.usda.gov. or call (609)
298-3446 x 219.
Scheduled meetings are as follows:
- Monday, November 30, 2009, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at Columbus USDA
Service Center , 1971 Jacksonville-Jobstown Road, Columbus, NJ 08022, PHONE:
(609) 267-1639
- Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at USDA Freehold
Service Center , 4000 Kozloski Road, Suite D, PO Box 5033, Freehold, NJ
07728, PHONE: (732) 462-0075
- Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at Woodstown USDA
Service Center, 51 Cheney Road, Suite 2, Woodstown, NJ 08098, PHONE: (856)
769-1126
- Thursday, December 3, 2009, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at Frenchtown Service
Center, 687 Pittstown Road, Suite 2, Frenchtown, NJ 08825, PHONE: (908)
782-4614
- Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Pequest Trout
Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center, 605 Pequest Road, Oxford, NJ
07863 (The meeting at Pequest Hatchery is hosted by the Hackettstown Service
Center. Call at (908) 852-2576 for information about the meeting at this
location.)
SOMERSET, September 22, 2009 — Agricultural and forestry producers who
maintain conservation activities and want to adopt additional ones can
apply for technical and financial assistance from the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) through the Conservation Stewardship Program
(CSP). Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, improved pastureland,
and non-industrial private forestland. The Producer Self-Screening
Checklist will help potential applicants assess whether the new program
is suitable for them or their operation. This checklist is available at
all local NRCS offices and may also
be downloaded from the NRCS
website. Sign up is continuous, but applicants interested in 2010
funding should apply by September 30.
“CSP can assist New Jersey’s agricultural and forestry producers reach
greater levels of conservation performance, helping to improve the
quality of soil and water, assist in addressing global climate change,
and encourage environmentally responsible energy production,” State
Conservationist Tom Drewes said. “Animals (livestock and wildlife),
water quality, and soil quality are the primary resource concerns for
CSP in the Garden State.”
After program suitability is determined, the producer’s current and
proposed conservation practices will be entered by NRCS in the
conservation measurement tool (CMT) to estimate the level of
environmental performance of their conservation activities. This
estimate will be used to rank applications. Agency field staff will
conduct on-site field verifications of applicants’ information obtained
from the CMT. Once the potential participant has been field verified and
approved for funding, NRCS will help the producer develop a conservation
stewardship plan.
SOMERSET, Aug. 7, 2009— New Jersey State Conservationist Tom Drewes today
announced that the Natural Resources Conservation Service will begin continuous
sign-up for the revamped Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) on August 10
with the first signup period cutoff scheduled for September 30. CSP encourages
agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities
and adopt additional ones on their operations.
“This program will help New Jersey’s agricultural and forestry producers
reach greater levels of conservation performance,” Drewes said. “The
conservation benefits derived from maintaining and enhancing natural resources
will improve the quality of soil and water, assist in addressing global climate
change, and encourage environmentally responsible energy production.”
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) authorizes
CSP. Congress renamed and revamped the former Conservation Security Program
completely to improve its availability and appeal to agricultural and forestry
producers. Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, improved pastureland, and
non-industrial private forestland—a new land use for the program. Individual
landowners and legal entities may be eligible to apply for CSP assistance.
Agricultural and forestry producers must submit their applications by Sept.
30 to be considered for funding in the first ranking period. “We are holding a
continuous sign-up nationwide to give agricultural and forestry producers
greater opportunity to enroll their eligible acreage in CSP,” Drewes said.
Ranking periods are used to select the best applications for funding under the
annual acreage caps set by Congress.
To apply for the newly revamped CSP, potential participants will be
encouraged to use a self-screening checklist first to determine whether the new
program is suitable for them or their operation. It will be available on NRCS
Web sites and at NRCS field offices.
Once a potential participant has determined program suitability, the next
step is to enter the producer’s current and proposed conservation practices in
the conservation measurement tool (CMT). This tool estimates the level of
environmental performance to be achieved by a producer implementing and
maintaining conservation activity. The conservation performance estimated by the
CMT will be used to rank applications. Agency field staff also will conduct
on-site field verifications of applicants’ information obtained from the CMT.
Once the potential participant has been field verified and approved for funding,
he or she must develop a conservation stewardship plan.
For additional information about CSP, including eligibility requirements and
the interim final rule, please visit the NJ NRCS website, the national NRCS
website or visit your local NRCS field office.
The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the
North
Jersey Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council announce
$400,000 in federal funding available to producers and agricultural land
owners in the Raritan basin watersheds of Mulhockaway Creek, Spruce Run,
Neshanic River and South Branch/Long Valley to implement specific
conservation practices on eligible farms. The funds are offered through
the Agricultural Water Enhancement
Program (AWEP), part of the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP).
Producers and land owners must apply between
August 10 and August 21,
2009 and complete or update all eligibility documents within five days
for contracts to be awarded this month. Available conservation practices
include Access Control, Brush Management, Conservation Cover, Cover
Crop, Critical Area Planting, Field Border, Filter Strip, Nutrient
Management, Pasture /Hay Planting, Pest Management, No-till, Tree/Shrub
Establishment, Riparian Forest Buffer, Riparian Herbaceous Cover, the
development of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan for livestock
operations, or any practice otherwise offered under
EQIP that is part of
an existing Conservation Plan.
Additional cost-share may be available through North Jersey Resource
Conservation & Development for successful applicants. Practices must
begin in 2010 and all EQIP rules
apply. More information is available by calling the NRCS Service Centers
in Frenchtown (908.782.4614, ext. 3) or Hackettstown (908.852.2576, ext.
3) or North Jersey RC&D (908.735.0733). To sign up, applicants in
Hunterdon County should visit the NRCS office in Frenchtown (687
Pittstown Road, Frenchtown), and applicants in Morris County should
visit the NRCS Office in Hackettstown (101 Bilby Road, Hackettstown).
SOMERSET, August 4, 2009 - Farmers interested in participating in 2010
conservation programs should contact their local USDA, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) office to begin the application process.
Applications for Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA), the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP) received by August 28, 2009,
will be considered for 2010 funding. New Jersey State Conservationist Tom Drewes
said that farmers whose applications are selected and who want to implement
practices early in the 2010 season can expect contracts to be signed by April,
2010.
The agency accepts applications for conservation assistance year round and
sets cut off dates to facilitate review of applications and contract awards.
Interested applicants should contact their local USDA Service Center for more
information and an application. Program information is available online at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/.
SOMERSET, NJ, May 12, 2009 – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
and Farm Service Agency (FSA) announce that USDA is now accepting applications
for grassland easements and rental agreements on active or former pasture,
hayland, or open fields through the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) in New
Jersey. To protect ground-nesting habitat, GRP participants agree to limit
haying, grazing or mowing between April 1st and July 15th of each year on GRP
enrolled land. Applications received by June 1, 2009 will be reviewed for
funding this summer.
Successful easement applicants will receive the fair market value less the
grassland value for the easement area offered, or the geographic area rate cap
for permanent easements, whichever is less. The land must be maintained in grass
in perpetuity.
Successful rental agreement applicants have the option of developing a
10-year, 15-year or 20-year contract, with an annual rental payment provided by
FSA.
Successful applicants are eligible for a restoration cost-share agreement
that will reimburse up to 50% of the costs to restore or enhance the grasslands
through the program contract, including practices to ensure the long-term
viability of livestock grazing. NRCS provides all technical assistance related
to developing the restoration plan and designing the conservation practices.
Existing grasslands and grasslands that require restoration are eligible for
GRP. Owners of private land that are in compliance with the highly erodible and
wetland conservation provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act, as amended, and
who are in compliance with any other active USDA-administered program contracts
in their name are eligible to apply. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
participants with contracts that expire within the next twelve month period are
eligible to apply. However, other land enrolled in CRP or land enrolled in the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) or the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
is not eligible for GRP.
Applications for this conservation programs are accepted at any time, however
all applications for GRP received by June 1, 2009 will be considered for funding
this year. Interested applicants should contact their local USDA service center
or visit the NJ GRP web page for more
information.
SOMERSET, May 8, 2009—State Conservationist Tom Drewes has announced
that Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) New Jersey offices
will accept applications for financial assistance from National Organic
Program (NOP) certified organic producers as well as producers in the
process of transitioning to organic production between May 11 and May
29, 2009. An allocation of $357,706 for New Jersey is part of the 2009
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative to
encourage more organic agriculture production.
Practices eligible to receive increased payment rates in New Jersey
under the Organic Initiative are Conservation Crop Rotation; Cover Crop;
Nutrient Management; Pest Management; and Prescribed Grazing. Other
conservation practices are also available at the
standard EQIP payment rates.
Interested producers should visit their nearest
USDA Service Center to
determine eligibility. Additional information on the
2009 EQIP Organic
Initiative is available on the National NRCS website.
SOMERSET, April 29, 2009 – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
State Conservationist Tom Drewes has authorized a second sign-up period for the
2009 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Funding is still available for
the improvement or development of fish and wildlife habitat on private
agricultural and forest land in New Jersey. “NRCS wants to ensure that remaining
WHIP funds will provide the maximum benefit for wildlife habitat in New Jersey,”
Drewes said. To be considered for 2009 funding, land owners or managers need to
apply by Friday, May 29. Selected WHIP applicants must begin implementation of
the contracted work before May 2010.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), administered by NRCS, is a
voluntary USDA program for improving or developing fish and wildlife habitat on
private lands. The program provides both technical and financial assistance to
establish and enhance habitat for priority species and habitat types. Eligible
applicants work with their local Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to
prepare and implement a wildlife plan of operations. The plan becomes the basis
for a contract for applicants selected through the competitive ranking process.
Contract payments are made as improvements (conservation practices) are
completed.
Interested applicants should contact their local USDA-NRCS service center or
visit the New Jersey WHIP web page (www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip) for more
information. Applications for WHIP and all NRCS conservation programs are
accepted any time, however cut-off dates are set to facilitate project selection
and awarding of funds.
NRCS Service Center Locations
- Serving Mercer, Middlesex & Monmouth Counties
Freehold (732) 462-0075 X3
- Serving Hunterdon, Somerset & Union Counties - Frenchtown -(908)
782-4614 X3
- Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties
Hackettstown (908) 852-2576 X3
- Serving Burlington, Camden, & Ocean Counties
Columbus (609)267-1639 X3
- Serving Atlantic, Cape May, & Cumberland Counties
Vineland -(856)205-1225X3
- Serving Gloucester & Salem Counties Woodstown
(856)769-1126 X3
SOMERSET, February 11, 2009 – The Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) announces that applications will be accepted through June
1 for 2009 funding of wetland restoration projects on active or
previously farmed lands in New Jersey. Projects may be large or small,
located on isolated areas of farms that have little production value,
and provide significant benefits to the farm as habitat for native
pollinators, amphibians or migrating species, or add aesthetic value to
the landscape. Project sites can be partial fields, whole fields or
entire farms.
Eligible applicants are owners of private land that are in compliance
with the highly erodible and wetland conservation provisions of the 1985
Food Security Act, as amended, and who are in compliance with any other
active USDA-administered farm bill program contracts in their name.
Successful applicants have the option of developing either a 10-year
or 30-year contract. NRCS will reimburse, through the program contract,
up to 75% of the restoration costs including maintenance to ensure the
wetland functions and values are continued for the duration of the
agreement. NRCS also provides all technical assistance related to
developing the restoration plan and designing the restoration practices.
Applications for this and all NRCS conservation programs are accepted
at any time, however all applications for WRP received by June 1, 2009
will be considered for funding this year. Interested applicants should
contact their local USDA service center or visit the
New Jersey WRP web
page (www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp) for more information.
SOMERSET, July 14, 2008 – State Conservationist Tom Drewes announced
that USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will fund four
projects through the 2008 New Jersey Conservation Innovation Grants
program. The program is intended to stimulate the development and
adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while
leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and
protection in conjunction with agricultural production.
Laine Farms, located in Somerset County, will receive $75,000 for the
development of a local warm season pelletizing facility to provide an
alternate market for the warm-season grass crops in northern New Jersey.
The use of the pellets to provide winter heating for agricultural
structures will be further demonstrated in a partnership effort with New
Jersey Audubon.
Audit tools for use in energy-intensive horticultural and
floriculture operations will be developed and tested by Rutgers, the
State University of New Jersey. Dr. Thomas Manning at the New Jersey
Agricultural Experiment Station will lead this project with a goal of
discovering appropriate energy conservation measures that reduce total
energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve agricultural
efficiency. The project will receive $61,193.
A local source of black-oil sunflowers for a “Jersey Grown” bird seed
mix will be developed by Mark Kirby of Derwood Farms in partnership with
New Jersey Audubon. Derwood Farms will receive $52,934 for this project
that will also include the use of an innovative bio-char product to
enhance the soil condition in the sunflower fields in an effort to
improve water quality and carbon sequestration.
Up to five staff members from local Soil Conservation Districts
and/or Resource Conservation and Development Councils will be recruited
and trained to perform on-farm energy audits in New Jersey by EnSave, a
corporation headquartered in Vermont. As part of the $18,090 grant
agreement, four audits will be conducted and energy saving strategies
will be implemented on the audited farms.
New Jersey received a total of nine applications for the 2008
competition. A panel of experts from different conservation and
environmental agencies and groups reviewed the applications and
recommended six for funding. Drewes made the final selections based on
these reviews and on the availability of program funds. “This is the
first year we had more fundable projects than money available to support
them. We hope this trend continues under the 2008 Farm Bill, as it gives
us the best opportunity to get new innovative ideas on the land that
will eventually benefit all New Jersey farmers by offering alternative
environmental solutions for some of our natural resource problems,”
Drewes said.
The 2008 Farm Bill passed by Congress in May continues the
Conservation Innovation Grants program, a popular component of the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, through the year 2012. This is
the fourth year that New Jersey NRCS has funded Conservation Innovation Grants
in the state. For more on the work NRCS is doing in New Jersey, visit
the NRCS website.
Farmers have through August 15 to apply.
SOMERSET, NJ, May 29, 2008— Tom Drewes, State Conservationist for USDA,
Natural Resources Conservation Service in New Jersey, today extended the
application period for two conservation programs offered through the Farm Bill.
Farmers can apply for 2009 assistance through the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) until
close of business August 15, 2008. Drewes said, "Since the Farm Bill was passed
later than expected, we wanted to ensure that potential applicants had adequate
time to review the opportunities afforded them in the new law."
Through EQIP, farmers may receive financial and technical help with
structural and management conservation practices that address soil, water, air,
forestry, grazing and animal waste issues on agricultural land.
The AMA Program in New Jersey targets beginning farmers, limited resource
farmers, small farms, and producers who have had limited participation in other
USDA financial assistance programs. AMA prioritizes management practices that
reduce agricultural risk by improving soil and plant productivity.
Drewes indicated that the application period for the Wildlife Incentives
Habitat Program (WHIP), which targets habitat development and management for the
state's at-risk species, had been previously set for August 15.
Farmers interested in these conservation programs should contact the NRCS
Service Center that serves their county. More information is available online at
www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov.
SOMERSET, NJ, May 7, 2008— Farmers in the Lower Delaware Watershed of
New Jersey will have until May 30 to apply for the 2008 Conservation
Security Program (CSP). Originally, the CSP sign-up was scheduled to run
from April 18-May 16, 2008. New Jersey State Conservationist Tom Drewes
said, "By extending the sign-up period for CSP by two weeks,
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) Chief Arlen Lancaster hopes to encourage more eligible
farmers to apply for the voluntary program. This is a busy season for
farmers, and we are providing more time so that applicants are able to
complete the required self-assessment and applicant interview."
CSP, a voluntary program, encourages and rewards producers who practice
outstanding stewardship on working agricultural land by offering
financial incentives that increase with the level of conservation
effort. Soil and water quality are the primary focus of this program;
however, program goals also include improved wildlife habitat, air
quality, energy conservation, and environmentally responsible energy
production.
A sign-up extension announcement is scheduled to be published in the
Federal Register on May 9, 2008. For more information about
CSP and eligibility requirements,
please visit http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.
Sign up starts April 18
SOMERSET, March 26, 2008 – New Jersey State Conservationist Tom
Drewes announced today that sign up for the
2008 Conservation Security
Program (CSP) begins April 18 for farmers in the Lower Delaware
Watershed of New Jersey. The program administered by USDA, Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is intended to foster ongoing
resource conservation and is offered in selected watersheds when funding
is available. The Lower Delaware Watershed is located in parts of
Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties.
Farmers who document their high levels of conservation and management on
their operations may qualify for the program. Increased payments may be added
for those who add and/or expand conservation activities. Minimum soil and water
resource eligibility criteria apply.
“Sign up will run from April 18 through May 16, “Drewes said, “but
farmers are encouraged to contact the NRCS office that serves their area
to get the process started as soon as possible.” Interested producers
must complete the CSP self-assessment workbook and take it to their
local NRCS office in order to sign up for the program. The
self-assessment workbook is available at any USDA Service Center or at
www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp. NRCS also provides other pertinent
information and links for prospective applicants on this website. After
the application materials are reviewed and accepted, an eligibility
interview will be scheduled. At the interview, producers will be
required to provide records demonstrating their eligibility for the
program.
Drewes’s announcement follows the nationwide announcement for the
2008 Conservation Security Program issued on Wednesday, March 19, 2008,
by US Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer. This year the program is
available to approximately 64,000 potentially-eligible farms and ranches
in 51 watersheds covering more than 23.7 million acres across the
country. Payments are paid annually over a period of 5 to 10 years.
Amounts vary according to the level of conservation existing or planned
for the operation, up to $45,000 a year.
Specific program requirements are being published in the
Federal
Register. For information about
the 2008 program in New Jersey, contact
Janice Reid, Assistant State
Conservationist for Programs at (732) 537-6042 or the NRCS Office in
Columbus (609) 267-1639 x 3 or Woodstown (856) 769-1126 x 3.
Somerset, February 21, 2008 - Projects that address natural resource concerns
or technology transfer with innovative techniques or approaches may be eligible
for funding through the Conservation Innovation Grant program administered by
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). State Conservationist Tom
Drewes announced that up to $220,000 is available for the 2008 New Jersey
competition. The application period for the statewide competition will close on
April 9. Selected projects may receive up to 50 percent of the total project
cost with a maximum award of $75,000 for each project.
“This is an excellent opportunity for state and local agencies, nonprofit
organizations, for-profit companies, and individuals to help implement and
transfer innovative environmental solutions to natural resource problems,”
Drewes said. Projects may be from one to three years in length. Grants will fund
projects that focus on water resources, soil resources, atmospheric resources,
or wildlife habitat through on-the-ground conservation or the implementation of
innovative technologies related to on-farm energy efficiency, market-based
resources management, and irrigation water management. “What we are looking for
is innovation. We want projects that bring new technologies directly to Garden
State farmers.”
More information about the application process can be found online on the
federal eGrants website, on the
NJ NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants site,
or by contacting
Janice Reid, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs (janice.reid@nj.usda.gov
or (732) 537-6042). The 2002 Farm Bill established Conservation Innovation
Grants as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The first
New Jersey grants were awarded in 2005, and information about these funded
projects can be found on the New Jersey website.
Somerset – February 12, 2008 - State Conservationist Tom Drewes has announced
that USDADA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking applications
for the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program. New Jersey is offering
the voluntary program to beginning farmers, limited resource farmers, small
farms, and producers who have had limited participation in other USDA financial
assistance programs. A signed application must be filed by 4:30 P.M. on Friday,
March 7 to be eligible for consideration in 2008.
Interested applicants should contact their local NRCS office to request a new
or updated conservation plan for their farm. Applicants must have current crop
and producer records on file with USDA, Farm Service Agency. They must own or
control the land, agree to implement specific eligible conservation practices
according to the contract schedule, and qualify for farmland assessment. In
addition, applicants must meet at least 3 of the 6 state criteria, which
include: 1) Average annual gross farm sales $75,000 or less for the last three
years; 2) Farm acreage less than 50 of specialty/vegetable crops/pasture OR less
than 200 of any other crops; 3) USDA program payments less than $10,000 (total)
over the last five years; 4) Production income more than 75% of the total
household income (for the previous tax year); 5) Farm Operating Loan (private or
government) used to support the beginning farm operation; 6) Rented acreage
totals more than 50% of the total production acreage of the farm.
Program information and office locations can be accessed online from the
NRCS
New Jersey homepage.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides assistance to
private land owners in the conservation and management of their soil, water, and
other natural resources. Participation in NRCS programs is voluntary.
Contact the NRCS office serving your county.
News Contact:
Barbara Phillips 732-537-6044
Last Modified:
November 20, 2009
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