Farmers who operate in parts of the Highlands and portions of south Jersey may be eligible for technical and financial assistance for conservation practices that promote water quality and quantity through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Over $1 million has been set aside for this region as part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project in the Delaware River Watershed that was awarded in January 2015. An interactive map of the project areas, linked from the NJ NRCS website home page, can be viewed online at http://bit.ly/1LmVTps. Applications received by Feb. 19 will be considered for FY16 funding.
State Conservationist Carrie Lindig said, “This is the second year we are able to offer this additional opportunity for farmers in designated parts of the Delaware River watershed. We appreciate all the partners involved in the Delaware River Watershed Working Lands Conservation and Protection Partnership and their commitment to protecting the natural resources of New Jersey.”
In the north, the project area includes Delaware River tributaries from the Flat Brook in Sussex County to the Musconetcong in Hunterdon. This Highlands region covers all of Warren County, about half of Sussex County, and portions of Morris and Hunterdon that drain to Lake Hopatcong and the Musconetcong River.
The targeted area of the southern part of the state includes areas that support the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer as well as direct tributaries to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay in Salem and Cape May Counties. This target area includes portions of Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May Counties.
Through RCPP, Delaware River Watershed Working Lands Conservation and Protection Partnership was awarded $13 million for projects in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey over a 5-year period. The proposal was submitted by American Farmland Trust in conjunction with multiple organizations and is now administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Another NRCS initiative offered through EQIP, the 2016 Water Quality Initiative, is also available for producers in the Upper Cohansey, Upper Salem, and Upper Alloway Creek watersheds in Salem and Cumberland Counties.
Applicants eligible for EQIP who farm in the designated area are encouraged to visit their local NRCS office to apply by Feb. 19. More on these opportunities can be found in the Programs section of the NJ NRCS website www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD)or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
