Kentucky USDA State Technical Committee April 28, 2016 Deena Wheby Assistant State Conservationist for Programs Disclaimer: The numbers shown in this presentation have been rounded and are for informational purposes. They are not meant to be used for “official” agency numbers for use outside of this presentation. Should official numbers be needed, please contact Deena Wheby.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Fiscal Year 2015 Accomplishments and Fiscal Year 2016 Progress

EQIP Fiscal Year 2015 Statewide Eligible applications received 2,600 (~ 500 more than in 2014) Financial Assistance Requested More than $31 million (up ~ 11 million from 2014) Statewide applications funded 630 (24% of the request) (down from 757 – 37% in 2014) Statewide total dollars obligated $9.8 million (32% of the request) (down from 57% in 2014) Backlog of applications going into FY ,000 applications requesting more than $21.2 million (2014 backlog: 1,300 for $8.7 million) Of the $9.8 million obligated: More than $6.1 million (450 contracts) obligated in StrikeForce Counties 165 of these were Historically Underserved customers ($2.3 million)

EQIP Fiscal Year 2016 State Initial Allocation = $11.8 million (up ~ $2m from last year) General EQIP: $8.5 million StrikeForce: $1.8 million Triplett Creek Forestry Partnership: $91,500 National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI): $242,200 Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI): Red River: $250,000 SE Lower Green River: $450,000 Central Lower Green River: $227,000 Upper Buck Creek: $153,000

Additional Allocations StrikeForce Initiative $1,417,400 “Climate Change Mitigation Building Blocks” $ 918,000 to help address USDA’s climate change strategy Specific conservation practices that support the following six areas: 1.Soil Health 2.Nitrogen Management 3.Manure Management 4.Grazing Management 5.Forest Improvement 6.Energy Efficiency Will not have a new sign-up, but will use applications on hand, focusing in areas that address these building blocks

EQIP Fiscal Year 2016 First application cut-off November 20, 2015 Eligible Applications Received 1,350 (down from 1,700) Funds Requested $22.8 million (up from $16.5 million) Applications for Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs) 79 (down from 94) $284,000 Written by Technical Service Providers (TSPs) Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs), Forestry, Energy, Grazing, etc. Applications Selected for Funding (first round) 373 $7.3 million

EQIP Fiscal Year 2016 (first application period) General EQIP Application Selection Historically Underserved Participants Limited Resource: All 12 Applications Funded for $298,000 Socially Disadvantaged: All 9 Applications Funded for $154,000 Beginning Farmer: 25 Funded for $881,000 Pooling Area Application Selection PA 1: 46 High Priority Funded for $1.3 million PA 2: 32 High Priority Funded for $1.2 million PA 3: 8 High Priority Funded for $186,000 PA 4: 17 High Priority Funded for $175,000 CAP Application Selection CAP General Account 21 High Priority Funded for $35,000 CAP CNMP All 23 High Priority Funded for $171,000 StrikeForce Counties Application Selection Included in the numbers above, 248 Applications approved for $4.4 million (up from 242/$3.9 million in 2015)

EQIP FY 2016 EQIP Initiative Application Selection (first application period)  Organic Initiative All 16 Applications Funded for $164,000 Double last year 1 st sign up (8 for $75K)  Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative 56 for $691,000 (last year 1 st sign up - 56 for $560,000) Area Funded for $138,000 Area Funded for $253,000 Area Funded for $300,000  On-Farm Energy Initiative 15 Applications Funded for $257,000  Forestland Initiative 47 Applications Funded for $602,000  Wildlife Initiative 5 Applications Funded for $339,000  Southeast KY Early Successional Habitat Initiative 12 Applications Funded for $123,000  Triplett Creek Forestry Partnership All 3 Applications Funded for $17,500  MRBI 23 Applications Funded for $754,000  NWQI All 3 Applications Funded for $42,000

EQIP Fiscal Year 2016 Second application cut-off was March 18, 2016 Ranking deadline was April 22, 2016 Application numbers to date 1,223 Eligible Applications Requesting $17 million Not all applications have been cost-estimated Only “high” priorities in most accounts

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) Repealed, but still implementing existing active contracts Farm Bill Active WHIP Contracts All practices have been installed, but there are still annual management activities to certify Farm Bill Active WHIP Contracts Several have practices to install. Some contracts have been implemented and only require annual management certification. Will spend at least 5 percent of EQIP on wildlife habitat practices and activities

Conservation Stewardship Program FY General Signup 256 total applications 84 contracts obligated 34 Contracts in 2014 CSP 24,923 acres obligated 11,112 Acres in 2014 CSP $575,103 annual obligation $204, annual obligation Five year contracts 2016 Renewal Signup First year for CSP Renewals 96 eligible contracts 45 contracts renewed 22,491 acres obligated $335,535 annual obligation Five year contract renewal

Conservation Stewardship Program FY General Signup 181 total applications Down from ‘15 but up from ‘14 60 counties represented Application period ended March 31 st In process of ranking Plan to select applications for funding May 6 th 2017 Renewal Signup 55 eligible contracts 45 applications Application period ended March 31 st Non-competitive selection process

Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP) Takes the place of the following repealed programs: Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Has two components: Agricultural Lands Easements (ALE) Former functions of FRPP and GRP Wetland Reserves Easements (WRE) Former functions of WRP

ACEP – ALE USDA can pay up to 50 percent of the appraised fair market value USDA does NOT hold these easements Same as was with FRPP GRP function has changed – USDA used to hold these easements under GRP, but under the “grasslands of special significance” (GSS), the entity holds them and must meet the other entity requirements. Requires an eligible entity State or local government Certain not for profits Land Trusts Entity must: Be able to acquire, manage, monitor, enforce the easements in perpetuity Provide matching funds (some can come from landowner donation)

ACEP – ALE Fiscal Year Acres of Agricultural Land Easements under contract made up of 15 parcels for a total of $2,092, Fayette County Rural Land Management Board 13 parcels $1,719, federal share 1,170 acres Compatible Lands Foundation (Christian County) 2 parcels $372,500 federal share 298 acres Working with Department of Defense in vicinity of Ft. Campbell

ACEP – ALE Fiscal Year 2016 Two cooperating entities 11 eligible parcels 1,307 acres $1,817,100 federal share Application information is available on Kentucky NRCS webpage

Total easements acquired (or under contract) with partners under FPP, FRPP, ACEP-ALE in Kentucky 251 Easements purchased or under contract Approximately 40,000 acres Nearly $40 million in federal funding Almost $86 million total combined value (federal, entity, landowner) Protected for ag use in perpetuity

State Technical Committee Subcommittee Meetings Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) The 2017 program will look more like EQIP in the evaluation Need your input for ranking considerations/questions Subcommittee meeting will be May 31, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) State Priorities Pooling areas Number of cut-offs per year; percent of dollars for each Ranking and screening questions discussion Subcommittee meeting will be May 31, 2016 from 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm If you have interest in either topic (or both), please come! May also submit any comments to Deena Wheby at

Questions? Thank you for your attention!

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