Natural Resources Conservation Service Delivering Results for Agriculture and Conservation NaturalResources Consrvation Service Delivering Results for Agriculture and Conservation Pamela Hertzler District Conservationist

70 percent of land in the continental U.S. is privately owned FARMERS AND RANCHERS AT THE CENTER America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are at the center.   In the U.S., 70 percent of land in the lower 48 states is privately owned. That’s 1.4 billion acres. The fate of our environment and natural resources is not going to be decided on public lands, but by millions of farmers and ranchers making decisions every day. Those landowners choose how to use the natural resources on their lands. America’s producers feed not only American families, but people around the world. When our growing population needs more food, more fuel and more fiber to survive, the world will turn to American producers to deliver. In the next 40 years alone, they’ll need to produce as much food as they have in the last 500 years. In order to keep up with production, and do it in a way that protects our natural resources for the future, they will need support.

NRCS helps private landowners make good conservation decisions NRCS OVERVIEW This is the mission of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. We work with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across the country -- using sound science and research to help them make good conservation decisions on their lands.   Our programs are voluntary and incentive-based. We’re not a regulatory agency. Producers apply to participate in NRCS programs and we provide them with the technical guidance and financial assistance they need to implement proven conservation practices on their lands. The conservation practices we promote – everything from practices that manage excess nutrients and waste on farms to practices that promote soil health, among a host of others, are helping to protect our natural resources for the long-term, while at the same time improving producers’ operations. It’s about taking care of the landscape in concert with agricultural productivity. For the American people – this work is supporting a healthy, sustainable food supply. It’s helping to ensure we have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. It’s preserving and protecting natural places and wildlife for the long-term.

HISTORY NRCS has been around for more than 75 years. We emerged out of the worst agricultural disaster in American history – the Dust Bowl.   For more than a century, producers and landowners had been exhausting America’s soil resources -- using harmful and unsustainable farming practices, not knowing it would impact them down the road. Even the USDA back in the early 1900s said that soil was the one indestructible, immutable resource the nation had. HISTORY NRCS has been around for more than 75 years. We emerged out of the worst agricultural disaster in American history – the Dust Bowl.   For more than a century, producers and landowners had been exhausting America’s soil resources -- using harmful and unsustainable farming practices, not knowing it would impact them down the road. Even the USDA back in the early 1900s said that soil was the one indestructible, immutable resource the nation had.

NaturalResources Consrvation Service Soil conservation pioneers, like soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett, realized early on that what we do to the land today has a direct effect on its health and productivity in the future.   In 1935, extreme drought conditions, coupled with more than a hundred years of soil mismanagement, resulted in the Dust Bowl. America’s croplands dried up and production came to a halt. Huge dust storms made up of loose top soil spread across the United States. NaturalResources Consrvation Service Delivering Results for Agriculture and Conservation

That year, Congress passed an act establishing the Soil Conservation Service, to help address the crippling conditions on America’s farmlands. The Soil Conservation Service would later become the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hugh Hammond Bennett, the soil scientist that had predicted it all, became its first Chief.   Bennett spent the rest of his career correcting deep-rooted agricultural mistakes and working with farmers and landowners to link agriculture with proven conservation and sustainability measures. And we carry on his legacy today – working not only to protect our nation’s soils, but our air, water, plants and wildlife as well. That year, Congress passed an act establishing the Soil Conservation Service, to help address the crippling conditions on America’s farmlands. The Soil Conservation Service would later become the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hugh Hammond Bennett, the soil scientist that had predicted it all, became its first Chief.   Bennett spent the rest of his career correcting deep-rooted agricultural mistakes and working with farmers and landowners to link agriculture with proven conservation and sustainability measures. And we carry on his legacy today – working not only to protect our nation’s soils, but our air, water, plants and wildlife as well.

EQIP ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits . Regional Fund Pools: AFO (Animal Feeding Operations) Cropland Pastureland Rangeland Water Conservation Forestland

Regional Forest Land This fund pool collectively covers the private nonindustrial forestlands throughout the state. This provides financial and technical assistance for forestland conservation. Helping you help your land-Creating healthy forest.

Sierra Nevada EQIP Fund Pool Counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Western Sierra, Tuolumne and Tulare. Forest Stand Improvement Tree/Shrub Pruning Woody Residue Treatment Fuel Break Obstruction Removal

NaturalResources Consrvation Service Delivering Results for Agriculture and Conservation Before thinning and pruning After thinning and pruning

TREE MORTALITY INITIATIVE Trees already stressed by drought are being further weakened and killed by bark beetles. This initiative is focused on removing dead trees on severely damaged, private forestlands. Land that has more than 20 percent of their conifer forestland property covered with dead trees will receive priority funding consideration.

Thick forest + drought + Bark Beetles = Recipe for disaster

TREE MORTALITY At this time $4 million has been allocated for tree mortality projects. Will be competing with southern counties who have experienced more tree mortality thus far. This is to be shared with 18 counties, including Nevada County.

TREE MORTALITY Primary Resource concerns to be addressed are related to fuels hazard reduction and pest control. Main practices to apply for: Obstruction Removal Tree/Shrub Pruning Forest Stand Improvement

To apply for our programs an applicant must meet the producer and land program eligibility : Be an ag producer (in this case, forest land) Have control of land(you own or lease property) Land is nonindustrial private forest land, Tribal land or forest-related products are produced. Be in compliance with Adjusted Gross Income(can not exceed $900,000.00 gross income in 2015,2014,2013)

Eligibility con’t: 3 acre minimum (with dwelling minus 100’ defensible space area) 1 acre minimum with no dwelling. 4 dead tree/acre Funding percentage: approx. 50%

How to apply? Contact your Grass Valley NRCS Field Office We will help you determine if you will need to apply for Tree Mortality or under our Regular EQIP Forest land program. We will be able to help you through the application process and help create a conservation plan for you.

CONTACT INFO: NRCS NEVADA COUNTY GRASS VALLEY FIELD OFFICE 113 PRESLEY WAY SUITE 1 GRASS VALLEY, CA. 95945 PHONE# (530)-272-3417 ext 3 Pamela Hertzler-District Conservationist Pam.Hertzler@ca.usda.gov

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