blake
Life Member
<span style="color: #000099">“The Iowa DNR's Mission:
"To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life for Iowans and ensure a legacy for future generations.”</span>
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>From the Iowa DNR :</span>
Existing Programs Deliver New Opportunities for Forest landowners
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are delivering new opportunities for Iowa private landowners.
An announcement from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) stated that $500,000 of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds will be set aside for forestry practices statewide in Iowa. Landowners interested in accessing these funds should contact their district forester if they need a forest management plan developed for their property. If they have a forest management plan they should sign up with your local NRCS office.
Because this sign-up is covered under the new Farm Bill, NRCS is currently developing the forms they will need to enroll cooperators. Landowners interested in enrolling in the program should ask their county office to place their name on a list to be contacted when the forms are prepared and sign-up can begin. Once sign-up begins it will be continuous until all funds are allocated.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that the Bottomland Hardwood Program (CP31) has added a 20 percent soil rental rate incentive, a practice incentive payment (PIP) and a sign-up incentive payment (SIP). This means that if your soil rental rate is $200 per acre you would receive an additional $40 per acre rental payment for a total of $240 per acre each year for 15 years. The PIP pays an additional 40 percent cost-share incentive in addition to the 50 percent that is currently provided by CRP. The SIP payment is $100 per acre.
FSA has also amended the soil rental rates for CRP. Rate increases range from $1 to $50 per acre with the majority of rates increasing $20 to $30 per acre. If you are interested in this continuous CRP practice contact your FSA, NRCS or district forester office.
Additionally, landowners in Allamakee, Clayton, Winneshiek and Fayette counties are eligible for participation in the CRP SAFE program. This program has incentives similar to the Bottomland Hardwood Program and provides landowners in these counties the opportunities to enroll tree planting acres through the continuous CRP.
Go to (http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/district.html) to find forester contact information or call 515/281-4924. If you need to reserve seedlings for a tree planting project contact the State Forest Nursery at 515/233-1161 or order online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/nursery.html .
<span style='font-size: 20pt'>1-800-532-2020</span>
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Ron Wyllie
Southwest Iowa IBA Area Representative
rwyllie@iowawhitetail.com