GILLESPIE COUNTY SOIL & WATER
CONSERVATION
DISTRICT #220
Gillespie County, Texas
Brush Clearing Programs
SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM (EQIP)
The District works with
USDA NRCS staff and local landowners in Gillespie County
to increase water quantity and water quality though EQIP, a federally
cost-shared program. EQIP is mainly
concerned with brush management; clearing cedar and mesquite are ranked high
priority, prickly pear is medium,
and persimmon is low priority. Contract amounts paid per acre depend on
brush density and type, and on what method is used to clear the brush.
NRCS staff works with
landowners to determine which areas they want to clear. EQIP doesn't
require extreme clearing, and buffer areas can be left where agreed
upon. Areas that would be too
dangerous or costly to clear, like
cliff edges or along ridge and
creek beds, can also be left.
Landowners/operators must
be engaged in livestock or
agricultural production to be eligible for
EQIP. At least one contract item must
be finished within the contract's first year.
Participants must hire their own contractor
once their EQIP contract is signed & approved. We have a contractor’s list at our office to
help EQIP participants find contractors
to do the work.
The EQIP program requires deferring land one growing season following
brush clearing. Brush re-growth on
land cleared through EQIP contracts needs to be controlled for 10 years.
The Gillespie Chapter of the Edwards Plateau Prescribed Burning
Association (GPBA/EPPBA) helps members control brush re-growth through
prescribed burning. Our chapter has over 100 members, mostly from Gillespie County.
Some new EQIP
contracts were funded in June 2009. There is a continuous sign-up for EQIP, so you can apply now for the next round of funding, which is expected in
early 2010. You should also verify
with Farm Service Agency that your records
are current. For
more information
on how the process works and how
to apply, you can visit the NRCS office in Fredericksburg at 1906 North Llano Street, #106; call NRCS at 830-997-3349
ext. 3; or consult the NRCS
web-site
about EQIP.
Also, our
District newsletter for May 2009
has a more detailed article about
the EQIP program in Texas. Free copies are available at our office.
PEDERNALES WATER
ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
In 2002, the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board
implemented this brush clearing program in the Pedernales
River Watershed, working through
SWCDs in Blanco, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, and Travis Counties.
The program ‘s overall goal is to
enhance the stream flow and water availability of the Pedernales
River which flows into Lake Travis, through selective removal of brush.
Applications are being accepted now for
the Pedernales Water Enhancement (Brush Control) Program. More funding is expected in September 2009. This is a state sponsored
cost-share incentive program to help landowners remove Cedar (Ashe Juniper)
and/or Mesquite from their property.
Persons owning or operating land in Gillespie County, and interested in
participating in the program, should call Melissa Grote at 830-868-7237 ext.
3.
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The Gillespie County
SWCD #220 prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited
bases apply in all programs.) "An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer"
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