SOMERSET, N.J. — Thanks to the efforts of the Delaware River Watershed Working Lands Conservation Protection project, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service is able to offer technical and financial assistance to implement conservation practices on farms and forest land in selected areas of the Highlands, the Kirkwood-Cohansey and the Pocono-Kittatinny areas.
The Delaware River Watershed Working Lands Conservation Protection project, led by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and supported by many partners, was selected by NRCS for the Regional Conservation Partner Program. Through RCPP, these conservation partners are able to combine their efforts to improve water quality and quantity in their areas of operation with NRCS conservation programs.
This particular RCPP agreement utilizes NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program. EQIP can provide financial assistance for a variety of conservation activities, such as forest stand improvement, reduced tillage, field buffers, seasonal high tunnels, rotational grazing systems, and more. The program can help address issues such as water management, water quality, erosion control, soil health, wildlife habitat improvement and more, by incorporating conservation into their farming operations.
An interactive map and description of the project focal areas offsite link image is linked from the New Jersey NRCS website at www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov. Landowners participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program with farm or forest land in the focal areas may be eligible for additional assistance from RCPP partnering organizations. To learn more about this additional funding, landowners in these focal areas should contact the appropriate organization. Contact information is on the Delaware River Watershed Working Lands Conservation Protection page of the NRCS website.
The current application period for RCPP-EQIP will close on March 17. Interested producers should visit their local NRCS service center for information on EQIP. Program information is also available at www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov.
— USDA