COLUMBIA - State Conservationist Niles Glasgow announced that Sept. 30 is the deadline to apply for assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service for two of its farm bill programs.

NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to help South Carolina landowners address natural resource concerns, promote environmental quality, and protect wildlife habitat on property they own or control. The cost-share funds are available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), both administered by NRCS.

EQIP helps farmers improve production while protecting environmental quality by addressing such concerns as soil erosion and productivity, grazing management, water quality, animal waste, and forestry concerns. EQIP also assists eligible small-scale farmers who have historically not participated in or ranked high enough to be funded in previous program sign ups. WHIP assists landowners who want to improve wildlife habitat or restore natural ecosystems on their land.

There is a continuous signup for these programs; however, to increase your chances of funding, apply by Sept. 30. Producers interested in applying should visit the local USDA Service Center as soon as possible to prepare their applications.

Visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/ for more information, including eligibility requirements.

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