01/20/06 Energy savings initiative, part two

NRCS is stepping up to help Idaho ag producers who have been hit with soaring fuel and fertilizer costs. State Conservationist Rich Sims says they're going to look at contracts from 2002 through 2004 and give 15 percent funding increases to certain producers for conservation practices they planned to employ this year. SIMS  "Because it's not going to be all the practices that we have. It's just going to be those practices that have been specifically hit really hard from the increase in cost and it's basically due to the increase in the energy cost." Some producers, and at this point we don't know who they are, will get help in another area. SIMS  " We're going to offer between a 500 and four thousand dollar bonus to individuals to implement their practices early if they receive a 2006 EQIP contract." Sims says they're in the process of evaluating the EQIP applications and will name the recipients within the next couple of months. He says its best if applicants think ahead now and decide if they want to accelerate their conservation program practices and earn the bonus along the way. And if you go to the NRCS website www.nrcs.usda.gov you'll find a new Energy Estimator to give you a quick read on how much money can be saved by using conservation tillage. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott