Stakeholder Input Meeting set for Friday

The purpose of the meeting is to request participation and invite comments from a broad range of local agencies, organizations, businesses, and especially farmers and ranchers that have an interest in natural resource conditions and needs.

The Stakeholder Input Meeting, convened by the Soil Conservation District with discussion by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist, will help the Local Work Group (LWG), to address County-Based funding for the FY2008 Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP). The LWG will make recommendations on resource concerns to be addressed, eligible practices, and ranking for County-Based funding.

One of the guiding principles of the 2002 USDA Farm Bill is that conservation programs are locally led. Through stake holder meetings the public is given an opportunity to help local conservation leaders set program priorities. These meetings are open to the public.

EQIP was established in the 1996 Farm Bill to provide a single, voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers to address significant natural resource concerns. Nationally, it provides technical and financial assistance to address natural resource concerns. Administered by the NRCS, EQIP was reauthorized in the 2002 Farm Bill and awards cost share assistance to agricultural producers who will apply cost share and incentive practices which provide significant environmental benefit. In Tennessee, NRCS provides funding to each county to address local resource concerns.

For more information, call Preston Grissom at the USDA Service Center office in McMinnville at 931-473-6539. Service center locations and program information can be found on the NRCS Tennessee website at www.tn.nrcs. usda.gov.