Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) Announcement! Mississippi

All information in this blog post is copyright of USDA NRCS.

USDA NRCS ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR AGRICULTURAL WATER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

Jackson, MS, February 8, 2011 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking applications for a 2011 statewide Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality.

“AWEP has been available since FY2009. AWEP operates through program contracts with producers to plan and implement conservation practices in project areas established through partnership agreements,” stated Al Garner, Mississippi Acting State Conservationist for NRCS. “The goal of this state-wide program is for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enter into partnership agreements with eligible entities that want to promote ground and surface water conservation or improve water quality on agricultural lands.”

Each fiscal year, NRCS may make AWEP financial and technical assistance available to eligible owners and operators of agricultural lands who participate in approved AWEP project areas. Within Mississippi, only producers located within the Tunica County AWEP Proposal Area and the Mississippi Delta AWEP Proposal Area are eligible for financial and technical assistance.

Applications for AWEP are taken continuously throughout the year. However, to be considered for Fiscal Year 2011 AWEP funding, producers need to have an application signed and on file at their local NRCS office by March 11, 2011.

The intent of AWEP is for the Federal government to leverage investment in natural resources conservation along with services and non-Federal resources of other eligible partners.


Eligibility

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Local Working Group or the Farm Service Agency determines eligible producers for the EQIP program. Any farmer engaged in livestock or crop production on eligible land may apply for EQIP. EQIP contracts may be for a tract, farm or multiple farms. Eligible land includes cropland; rangeland; pasture; private non-industrial forestland; and other farm or ranch lands, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.



For complete information, please visit http://www.ms.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/AWEP.html .