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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: USDA-NRCS in South Carolina Receives Additional $2.37 Million to Protect Water Quality and Wildlife HabitatCOLUMBIA, SC, June 30, 2011--Ann English, State Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina, today announced that an additional $1 million in financial assistance funds has been made available to South Carolina’s private landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $1.37 million in the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). These additional funds will be targeted to eligible applications taken earlier this year that address livestock related natural resource concerns, wildlife habitat protection, and restoration of longleaf pine habitat. “EQIP is a voluntary program that funds conservation practices based on state identified natural resource concerns, such as forestry, grazing, soil erosion, water conservation and water quality,” explained English. In SC, these additional EQIP funds will help address degradation of soil and water quality from livestock operations. This financial assistance will help livestock producers in improving soil and water quality on their operation by enabling them to install conservation practices such as waste storage facilities, heavy use areas, lagoon closures, and nutrient management practices. WHIP helps landowners who want to improve wildlife habitat or restore natural ecosystems on their land, such as declining longleaf pine habitat. This financial assistance will provide cost-share for practices like prescribed burning, thinning, understory restoration, and upland wildlife habitat management. “Longleaf pine forests once covered millions of acres throughout the Southeastern United States, but today, there are only a few thousand acres of this vital habitat remaining,” said English. A portion of these additional WHIP funds will be targeted specifically to the national Longleaf Pine Initiative in which South Carolina is included. NRCS provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain and improve our natural resources and environment. More information on NRCS conservation programs can be found at www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov under programs.
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