July 16, 2009

INDIANA BULLETIN NO. 300-9-28

SUBJECT:  LTP – Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)

Purpose:  To release The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 2-stage ditch CCPI project and to provide a ranking worksheet, fund codes, and instructions for implementation of this special EQIP initiative in the NE and NW areas.

Expiration Date:  September 30, 2009

Action Required: By COB August 14, 2009

Background:  The 2008 Farm Bill directed NRCS to provide program support to conservation partners through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative.  NRCS is providing support through EQIP and WHIP funding.

Indiana selected two EQIP CCPI proposals for FY 09 funding.  The Nature Conservancy proposal to provide special consideration and a funding pool for 2-stage ditches was approved and the instructions in this bulletin are issued only for the TNC 2-stage ditch CCPI project.  Instructions for the other approved EQIP CCPI project will be issued separately.

The CCPI provides a dedicated pool of funding for individual EQIP eligible applicants to secure individual EQIP contracts to install the practices and accomplish the goals set forth in the CCPI proposal. The TNC project is funded at $40,000 for FY 2009 and all funds must be obligated into contracts no later than August 14, 2009. 

Implementation:  CCPI is funded under EQIP and the basic EQIP eligibility requirements regarding AGI, payment limitations, and ag producer requirements apply to all CCPI applicants.  All applications will be processed in ProTracts and contracts will follow existing contracting protocol.  All contracts must commence a financially assisted practice within 12 months of the contract start date, and will remain under contract for 12 months after the last contract item is completed.

Instructions, requirements, payment rates and allowed practices specific to this TNC CCPI project are defined below.  The revised EQIP guidelines issued under IN Bulletin 300-9-17 should be used for basic EQIP program guidance. 

Since the project covers two areas in the state and the funds are in one account, Area Conservationists will need to coordinate funding requests with the EQIP program manager prior to “approving” any applications. This will ensure that adequate opportunity for funds is available to both areas based on ranking.

TNC Activities:  Under the provisions of the Cooperative Agreement the TNC will market the 2-stage ditch initiative in the following counties: Newton, Jasper, Benton, Pulaski, White, Tippecanoe, Fountain, Montgomery, Carroll, Clinton, Boone, Cass, Fulton, Marshall, Kosciusko, Wabash, Miami, LaGrange, Noble, Whitley, Huntington, Steuben, DeKalb, Allen, Wells, and, Adams (see attached map).  TNC will work with landowners and drainage boards to implement the initiative and provide initial planning.  TNC will also direct potentially eligible participants to NRCS local offices for application assistance and provide a completed ranking worksheet (attached) to the local District Conservationists (DCs) no later than August 7, 2009 to give NRCS time to complete the contracting process.

NRCS Activities:  NRCS will accept individual EQIP applications, complete AERT ranking based on the TNC ranking worksheet, manage the resulting EQIP contracts, and provide the necessary engineering and implementation assistance to landowners to install the 2-stage ditches under this initiative. DCs in the counties in this project will contact the appropriate TNC representative to coordinate activities if an applicant for 582-Open channel 2-stage ditch has not already been working with TNC.  NRCS will obligate CCPI funds into contracts no later than noon August 14, 2009.

Contacts:  The contacts for TNC assistance are:

Practices Allowed: The only practice allowed under this CCPI is 582-Open channel as follows:  

Tools:  The ProTracts payment schedule “EQIP_2009_TNC_CCPI_List.xls” has been uploaded and is available for use.  The Toolkit cost list has been distributed to the Resource Management Specialists for upload to Toolkit.  The fund code to use for this initiative is “CCPI EQIP TNC” and is available only to the counties involved in the initiative. There will not be a separate Historically Underserved fund code for this initiative. Limited Resource Producers and the Beginning Farmers will be addressed in the ranking process. 

The TNC ranking worksheet will be completed and signed by either Chad Watts or Joe Draper, as TNC representatives.  TNC can use Indiana Bulletin 440-9-6 to assist in making the initial Limited Resource Producer (LRP) and the Beginning Farmer (BF) determination.  NRCS will confirm and document the LRP or BF designation per instructions on page 22 of the EQIP Indiana 2009 State Guidelines issued under Indiana Bulletin 300-9-17.  The TNC ranking worksheet questions are identical to the AERT state ranking questions and NRCS will use the TNC ranking worksheet to complete the state portion of the AERT ranking in ProTracts.  NRCS will complete the national portion of the AERT ranking by  answering Yes to question #1 if the ditch is in a 303d listed watershed, and always answering Yes question # 4.  The local ranking portion of AERT will not be used for CCPI projects.

If you have questions concerning this bulletin, please contact Teresah Caire, ASTC (Programs) at (317) 290-3200, ext. 320 or Jim Dunaway at ext. 334.

/s/

JANE E. HARDISTY

State Conservationist

Attachments

(TNC ranking sheet, map, IB 440-9-6)

cc:  Chad Watts, TNC, 436 Northwest Street, Winamac, IN 46996

       Joe Drapper, TNC, 1220 N. 200 W. Peachtree Plaza, Suite H, Angola, IN 46703

 

DIST: O

Helping People Help the Land

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer