Funding Available for Private Forestland in Southeast Oklahoma

STILLWATER, OK— Oklahoma State Conservationist Ron Hilliard, for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and State Forester John Burwell, for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF), are pleased to announce a cooperative effort available to owners of forestland in Atoka, Choctaw, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha Counties. The NRCS and ODAFF have been working together to develop a program through the 2009 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to meet the needs of forest producers in southeastern Oklahoma. “This unique cooperative effort between NRCS and ODAFF promotes both state and federal agencies to work hand-in-hand to apply forestland conservation practices in the southeastern portion of the state,” says Burwell.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is a financial assistance program available for landowners to install conservation practices on their land. Historically, much of Oklahoma’s EQIP funding has been concentrated in the cropland dominated areas of the state. Development of this new Local Emphasis Area (LEA) through EQIP will make additional funds available to solve resource concerns. Owners of private forestland in eight counties now have the opportunity to apply for funding to implement conservation plans which will benefit their private, non-industrial forestland. Various practices such as pine plantings, establishing riparian buffers, and prescribed burning are available to producers for cost-share assistance.

ODAFF foresters will develop forest stewardship plans with landowners and these plans can result in EQIP financial assistance contracts which will be developed by NRCS. “This partnership effort between ODAFF and NRCS will result in improved assistance to landowners by using expertise from both agencies to apply forestland management in southeast Oklahoma,” says Hilliard.

Landowners interested in participating in this unique EQIP opportunity may apply at any time at their local NRCS Field Service Center. All applications received will be evaluated according to the LEA ranking criteria as workload permits, and reviewed for potential funding as program allocations become available.

All programs and services of the Natural Resources Conservation Service are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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