Application deadline for financial assistance Oct. 21, 2016

Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Oct. 21 for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2017 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through EQIP, agricultural landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other farm or ranch lands. The application deadline also applies to the following EQIP-funded initiatives:

Organic Producer Initiative

Seasonal High Tunnels

Energy Initiative

Pollinator Initiative

Longleaf Pine Initiative

National Water Quality Initiative

Working Lands for Wildlife

Gulf of Mexico Initiative

Begin by visiting your local NRCS field office and requesting help developing a conservation plan. Our experts provide this free service to help you use your natural resources more efficiently. To learn about technical and financial assistance

available from NRCS, go to Getting Started with NRCS

www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted .