Speaker: Randy
Shank
VA
Cooperative Extension
Chesapeake
Bay/Nonpoint Coordinator
Richmond
804.786.2064
Virginia Agriculture BMP Tax Credit – Allows for a credit against the Virginia tax in an amount equaling 25% of the first $70,000 expended for certain agricultural best management practices. Credit shall not exceed $17,500 or the total amount of tax imposed. Contact: The local Soil and Water Conservation District.
Virginia Conservation Equipment Tax Credit - Virginia allows a state tax credit for the purchase of conservation tillage equipment. The credit shall not exceed $2500 or the total amount of the tax, whichever is less. There is also a state tax credit for the purchase of advanced technology pesticide and fertilizer equipment. The credit cannot exceed $3750 or the total amount of the tax, whichever is less. Eligible equipment includes high tech. spray equipment, improved manure spreaders, etc. Contact: The local Soil and Water Conservation District.
Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) - Provides cost-share assistance to landowners for pine restoration and management practices. Cost-share is 40%. Continuous sign up.
Practices must be maintained for 10 years. Contact: Department of Forestry
Virginia Small Business Environmental Assistance Revolving Loan Program - Provides loans to small business for the purchase and installation of pollution control equipment. Structural conservation BMP’s are eligible. Vegetative BMP’s are not eligible. The loan rate is 3% with a maximum of $25,000 for a period of 1-10 years, which approximates the life of the BMP. This program should begin in early 2000. Contact: The Virginia Department of Business Assistance (804-371-8184).
Virginia Agriculture BMP Loan Program - Funding is through the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia Resource Authority, and administered through a local lender. The loan rate is 3% with a minimum amount of $5,000. Funds are for structural BMP’s only. The program will begin in early 2000.
Contact: Don Wampler at DEQ at 804-698-4132
Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) - Provides funding for landowners and farmers to address significant natural resource needs and objectives. 5-10 year contracts. Each year funds are distributed on a competitive basis annually.
Contact: Local NRCS office.
Forestry Incentive Program (FIP) - Cost-share assistance to landowners for site preparation and tree planting and improvement of tree stands by thinning and release.
Cost-share rate is 40% for pine and 65% for hardwood. Minimum acreage is 1 acre.
Examples of practices include: tree planting, site preparation, prescribed burning, release spraying, etc. Contact: Local NRCS office.
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) - This program has a continuous sign up. It is a voluntary program to restore and protect wetlands on private property. This program offers three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and restoration cost-share agreements with a minimum 10-year duration. For the permanent easement option, landowners may receive the agricultural value of the land up to a maximum cap and 100 percent of the cost of restoring the land. For the 30-year option, a landowner will receive 75% of the easement value and 75% cost-share on the restoration. A 10-year agreement is also available that pays 75% of the restoration cost. To be eligible, the land must be suitable for restoration (formerly a wetland and drained) or connect to adjacent wetlands. Access remains and hunting and fishing activities are permitted. Contact: Local NRCS office.
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) - A 10 year contract with NRCS for cost-share and technical assistance to carry out a wildlife habitat development plan.
Cost-share is 75% with a cap of $10,000. Contact: Local NRCS office.
Partners for Wildlife (PFW) - Provides cost-share and technical assistance to landowners to restore wetlands, streams, and some grassland and forestland to improve their use by wildlife. Funds are limited. Contact: U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service.
Conservation Farm Option - Consolidates the different types of payments under the CRP, the WHIP, and the EQIP to a single annual payment. Only owners and producers that have a farm with contract acres enrolled in production flexibility contracts established under the Ag. Market Transition Act (AMTA) are eligible. Contact: FSA
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - There is a continuous sign-up throughout the year for landowners who wish to receive annual rent payments for highly erodible land that is taken out of production and established with conservation plant species. Note:
Check with local NRCS to determine eligibility for the CREP program, which may provide more funding over time than the CRP funds. Contact: Local NRCS office.
Emergency Watershed Program - NRCS has been authorized to respond to natural disasters by directing technical assistance to stream restoration. Examples include: removing debris, reshaping stream banks, re-seeding damaged areas, etc. A local sponsor (usually local government) must submit a request for assistance. 75% cost-share. This program has limited use. Contact: Local NRCS office.
Emergency Conservation Program - Cost-share program to farmers who have suffered severe damage to their farmland as a result of a natural disaster. The damage must be of such magnitude that it would be too costly for the producer to rehabilitate without federal assistance. Cost-share at 64%. Once a county has been approved, sign up occurs within 30-60 days. This program has limited use. Contact: FSA.
***** Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program ( CREP) - Virginia and the USDA
are developing a joint
conservation program that is an enhancement to the federal Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP). CREP provides landowners
an incentive to take land out of agricultural production and to put land in the
conservation reserve for 15 years. Practices to be installed include: riparian
forest buffers, filter strips and wetland restoration. Landowners that
participate will enter into 15-year contracts with the USDA. 75% cost-share is available to install
BMP’s. Annual rental rate incentives
include a maximum of $100 per acre per
year in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and $90 in the Southern Rivers watersheds,
outside of the Chesapeake Bay. Rental
rates will vary based on actual soil rental rates for the area. The purchase of perpetual conservation
easements from the landowner is also available. In this program, the landowner accepts payment from the state to
set land aside for conservation purposes for perpetuity.
Contact: Area FSA office.
** The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) as of 11/16/99 had not been
announced. No funds are available for
this program until it is formally announced as having begun. Watch this site for additional information http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crep/crepstates.htm.
Note:
Funding for all of these
conservation incentive programs is dependent on the availability of funds at
sign up. Funding availability will vary
from county to county.
For additional information on any of these programs, contact the appropriate agency office nearest you or visit DCR at: http://www.state.va.us/~dcr/dcr_home.htm
NRCS - Natural Resource Conservation Service
SWCD - Soil and Water Conservation District
VCE - Virginia Cooperative Extension
FSA - Farm Service Agency
DCR - Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
DEQ - Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
DOF - Virginia Department of Forestry
FSA Form and links to other Federal Forms can
be found at this site: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dam/forms/fsaforms.asp