2008 Farm Bill Accomplishments

Nevada

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AMA - 66 Contracts 1,775 Acres $ 1,395,520

CSP - 60 Contracts 159,450 Acres $ 3,136,078

EQIP -541 Contracts 1,163,892 Acres $35,660,062

WHIP- 56 Contracts 26,909 Acres $ 2,101,777

1 FRPP Easement 45 Acres $ 570,000

4 GRP Easements 6,437 Acres $10,777,599

8 WRP Easements 10,709 Acres $13,833,166

2014 FARM BILL

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Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

• $900,000 for both conservation and

commodity program payments and benefits.

• NRCS Chief no longer has authority to waive

AGI limitations for projects of special

environmental significance.

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Conservation Compliance

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• These new provisions apply solely to “crop

insurance only” participants:

• New Highly Erodible Land planning and compliance timelines

• 5 years to develop and comply with conservation plan

• 2 years for existing operations with violations

• Wetland Compliance

• New conversion “trigger date” is date of enactment (2/7/14)

• “Payment in lieu” option for mitigation of conversions <5 ac.

• New mitigation timelines.

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2014 Farm Bill

Increased Payments for Certain Producers – limited resource, socially disadvantaged, beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers and tribes.

• Not more than 90 percent of the costs associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training; and

• Not less than 25 percent above the otherwise applicable rate.

.

• Advance payments – Not more than 50 percent for materials and contracting

Threshold Targets:

A. 5 % of EQIP funds and 5 % of CStP acres to assist beginning farmers and ranchers

B. 5 % of EQIP funds and 5% of CStP acres to assist socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

Veterans farmers and ranchers are not included separately in the 5 percent set aside, but if covered farmers are also veterans, then they receive priority consideration.

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Special Emphasis Applicants

Financial Assistance Programs

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Agricultural Management Assistance

& Cons. Stewardship Program

• AMA - Risk Management Agency – low participation in Crop Insurance.

• NRCS in Nevada has been utilizing this program primarily for “High Tunnels”

• CStP – Compensation for past conservation efforts and incentives to apply additional conservation practices/enhancements.

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EQIP Contract Changes

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• Payment Limitation applied to the period of FY 2014 to

2018. (Eliminates the 6-year rolling limit)

• Single EQIP Payment Limitation ($450,000):

• Eliminates “waiver” provisions.

• Maximum Contract Length is set at 10 years.

• Advanced Payment (up to 50%) and added a return of

funds provision for Historically Underserved participants.

Easement Programs

NEW Easement program consolidation is called:

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program

(ACEP)

• Agricultural Land Easement Component (ALE)

• Wetland Reserve Easement Component (WRE)

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• To encourage partners to cooperate with producers in:

– meeting or avoiding the need for national, State, and local natural resource regulatory requirements related to production on eligible land; and,

– implementing projects that will result in the installation and maintenance of eligible activities that affect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial private forest operations on a local, regional, State, or multistate basis.

• To further the regional or watershed scale conservation, restoration and sustainable use of:

– Soil

– Water

– Wildlife

– Related natural resources 11

Regional Conservation Partnership

Program

Working Lands for Wildlife

New in Fiscal Year 2014: ESA Predictability

• The Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative was developed so

that landowners could receive credit under the Endangered

Species Act (ESA) for their proactive conservation actions.

• Participants voluntarily implement proven conservation

practices designed to improve and protect habitat.

• In return for maintaining these conservation practices, the

landowners can receive ESA Predictability or Regulatory

Certainty for up to 30 years.

Sage-grouse

Southwestern

Willow

Flycatcher

NRCS Drought Activities

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Eligible Practices

• Stockwater Wells

• Pipelines

• Troughs

• Prescribed Grazing (planned or deferred)

• Seeding

• Residue Management on Croplands

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