Deadline for Drought Assistance

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

The National Resource Conservation Service is piloting a new program as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program called Conservation Incentive Contracts. This can provide long-term support to address drought on agricultural land, says NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez.

Suarez… “We are testing, not only in California, but also in Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon, the conservation incentive contracts. And what that does is allows farmers and ranchers and other forest users to increase and elevate the level of conservation practices that they are putting on the ground and incorporate management practices that in this case address the dry conditions that we are facing in our state. And so our focus is California, received, over $22 million. And our focus has been on assisting farmers throughout the state, improving the conditions or building that resiliency that they need to address the drought conditions that we have.”

Suarez said that there are a variety of options in this conservation toolkit design for priority areas which include cropland, pasture land, and rangeland statewide.

Apply with your local NRCS office in-person, over the phone, or by email, but act now! The deadline is this coming Monday, July 12th.