NRCS provides $5 million for natural disaster recovery in Montana

BOZEMAN — The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana has set aside $5 million for agricultural producers who had land or other qualifying agricultural structures damaged in 2011 by a natural disaster, including flood or fire.

Producers can apply for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding at their local NRCS offices from Jan. 25 through March 16, 2012.

“While NRCS provided immediate response following last year’s flooding, many projects didn’t qualify for funding under our emergency criteria,” said Joyce Swartzendruber, NRCS state conservationist in Montana. “This additional funding will let us help landowners with repairs that will get their operations functional again.”

Practices that will be considered for funding include irrigation sprinklers, diversions, and pipelines; land leveling; cover crops; animal feeding operation relocations; critical area treatment; and obstruction removal.

To learn more about EQIP, visit the NRCS Montana Web site at www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/. To find your local NRCS office, visit www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/.