CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — State Conservationist Ivan Dozier announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service will offer funding for three unique efforts in Illinois during fiscal year 2020.
All projects will use the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Each project is restricted to certain Illinois counties.
Illinois Headwaters Conservation Partnership in East-Central Illinois: This project will control invasive plants in forest stands in east-central Illinois.
NRCS has partnered with the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Headwaters Invasive Plant Partnership to help producers address resource concerns such as water quality and soil health.
Landowners can apply for assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to implement forest stand improvement, brush management, herbaceous weed control and tree and shrub establishment practices.
The project focus is to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality by improving forest health in the following 11 counties: Champaign, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, Piatt and Vermilion.
Otter Lake Source Water Protection Project: This project will offer funding in Macoupin, Morgan and Sangamon counties for the Otter Lake Source Water Protection project.
NRCS has partnered with the Illinois Corn Growers Association to help producers address resource concerns, such as degraded water quality and soil erosion.
Producers can apply for assistance through EQIP to implement practices, such as denitrifying bioreactors, saturated buffers, cover crops, nutrient management and no-till.
The project focus is to improve water quality in the Otter Lake Watershed located in portions of Macoupin, Morgan, and Sangamon counties.
Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed Project: This project offers funding in Macoupin County for the Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed project.
NRCS has partnered with American Farmland Trust to help producers address resource concerns, such as degraded water quality and soil erosion.
Producers can apply for assistance through EQIP to implement practices, such as drainage water management, denitrifying bioreactors, cover crops, nutrient management and no-till.
The project focus is to improve water quality in the Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed located in portions of Macoupin County. Submit applications to Carlinville NRCS field office.
While applications for these programs are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit an application to the appropriate NRCS field office by the cutoff date of May 1 to ensure applications are considered for fiscal year 2020 funding.
To see if you are eligible to participate in the program, producers should contact their local NRCS field office or visit the Illinois NRCS website at www.il.nrcs.usda.gov.
Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, producers may set up phone appointments with their local NRCS office if they have any questions or need information.