United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Alabama Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content





Coosa County Ranking Tool for FY2007 County Allocations

Cost Efficiency Score:  equals the Sum of (each conservation practice’s physical effects times its practice service life) divided by the Sum of (all practice average annual costs identified as addressing resource concerns) times the cost efficiency multiplier (calculation based on 5% of total ranking tool points).

Percentage of Points:  5%

National Priorities

Percentage of Points:  20%
Question and Points:
  1. Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in considerable reductions of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with TMDL's where available as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination or point source contamination from confined animal feeding operations? (100 points)
  2. Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in the conservation of a considerable amount of ground or surface water resources? (100 points)
  3. Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards? (100 points)
  4. Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land? (100 points)
  5. Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable increase in the promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation? (100 points)

Total Points 500

State Priorities

Percentage of Points:  35%

Legend:

  • G-General questions
  • WQ - Water Quality
  • FW - Forest Health and Wildlife
  • GL - Grazing lands
  • SQ - Soil Quality/Soil Erosion

Questions and Points:

General
  1. G - Is applicant a beginning or new farmer? (60 points)
  2. G - Does the applicant have a conservation plan developed within the past five years? (This can be a Forest Management Plan, CNMP, etc. developed by NRCS, Conservation District, consultant or Technical Service Provider) (10 points)
  3. G - Has the applicant NEVER had an EQIP contract? (100 points)
  4. G - Does the applicant have a completed or current EQIP contract in full compliance in which all practices have been performed on schedule? (50 points)
  5. G - Is the majority of land being offered in a 303d stream listed for agriculture or grazing lands as a source of pollution? (30 points)
  6. G - Are the offered acres in a mapped stream segment, or no more than 5 miles upstream of a mapped segment, of a USFWS stream designated for aquatic T&E species? (50 points)
  7. G - Will application of requested practices achieve a RMS on these acres? (50 points)
  8. WQ1 - Is applicant willing to utilize animal manure as a fertilizer on his/her farm according to a CNMP on at least half of offered acres? (80 points)
  9. WQ2 - Is the applicant willing to install permanent visible markers in animal manure application areas to identify buffer/setback areas where no manure will be applied? (5 points)
  10. WQ3 - Is applicant willing to properly dispose of normal animal mortality by using an animal mortality facility? (10 points)
  11. WQ4 - Does the applicant plan to use roof runoff structures as part of a roof runoff management system to divert runoff away from animal waste storage areas? (5 points)
  12. WQ5 - Does the applicant plan to properly store and mix pesticides at a central agrichemical handling facility or use a portable agrichemical mixing station? (5 points)
  13. FW1 - Are Timber Stand Improvement practices planned on more half the offered acres? (80 points)
  14. FW2 - Is longleaf pine planting planned on property on at least half of all the offered acres? (75 points)
  15. FW3 - Is early successional habitat management planned on open land (cropland or native grass pasture)? If the answer to this question is yes the answers to questions FW1 and FW2 must be no. (80 points)
  16. FW4 - Is prescribed fire planned on property on a 2 or 3 year rotation on at least half of all the offered acres? (20 points)
  17. GL1 - Is the applicant willing to implement a prescribed grazing system where pastures are allowed to rest at least 80% of the grazing cycle on more than half of all the offered acres? Example: Five pasture grazing system. Full grazing cycle is 50 days with a maximum of 10 consecutive days on each pasture. Pastures are resting 40 consecutive days. If the answer is yes then the answers to questions GL2 and GL3 must be no. (90 points)
  18. GL2 - Is the applicant willing to implement a prescribed grazing system where pastures are allowed to rest at least 75% of the grazing cycle on more than half of all the offered acres? Example: Four pasture grazing system. Full grazing cycle is 56 days, with a maximum of 14 consecutive days on each pasture. Pastures are resting 42 consecutive days before grazing begins. If the answer is yes then the answers to questions GL1 and GL3 must be no. (85 points)
  19. GL3 - Is the applicant willing to implement a prescribed grazing system where pastures are allowed to rest at least 66% of the grazing cycle on more than half of all the offered acres? Example: Three pasture grazing system. Full grazing cycle is 42 days with a maximum of 14 consecutive days on each pasture. Pastures are resting 27 consecutive days before grazing begins. If the answer is yes then the answers to questions GL1 and GL2 must be no. (80 points)
  20. GL4 - Is the applicant willing to establish and maintain at least five acres of native warm season grasses as part of a prescribed grazing system? Grasses include switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, big bluestem, little bluestem, or indiangrass. (5 points)
  21. GL5 - Is the applicant willing to establish perennial legumes into perennial grass pasture land or hayland to improve forage quality, supplying nitrogen and promoting energy conservation? If legumes exist, to qualify, the stand of perennial legumes must not exceed 25% uniform coverage. (5 points)
  22. SQ1 - Will all Class III, IV, VI, VII, or VIII cropland be converted to permanent cover (grass or trees)? Conversion must be on more than half of all offered acres. If answer to this question is yes, answers to SQ2, SQ3, and SQ4 must be no. (90 points)
  23. SQ2 - Is applicant willing to add a high residue crop, i.e. corn, grain sorghum, to crop rotation, and adopt conservation tillage planted into 75% residue on the same land on more than half of all the offered acres? If answer to this question is yes, answers to SQ1, SQ3, and SQ4 must be no. (90 points)
  24. SQ3 - Is applicant willing to add a high residue crop, i.e. corn, grain sorghum, to a low residue rotation, i.e. cotton, peanuts, or establish perennial grasses in rotation with row crops (two or three year perennial grass sod, two years crops, for 4+ year rotation) on more than half of all the offered acres? If answer to this question is yes, answers to SQ1, SQ2, and SQ4 must be no. (75 points)
  25. SQ4 - Is applicant willing to adopt conservation tillage planted into 50% + or 75% residue, continuous conservation tillage, on same land on more than half of all the offered acres? If answer to this question is yes, answers to SQ1, SQ2 and SQ3 must be no. (80 points)
  26. SQ5 - Is applicant willing to use legumes included in the cover crop in a conservation tillage system on more than half of all the offered acres? (10 points)
  27. SQ6 - Is ephemeral gully erosion or a classical (caving type) gully or critically eroding areas present in or near the field, and is applicant willing to install practices necessary to treat the erosion and reduce off-site damages? This question can apply to any land use. (10 points)

    Total Points 1330 

County Priorities

Percentage of Points: 40%

Questions and Points:

General

G 1. Does this application address the highest priority resource concern in the county? 115 points

G 2. Does this application address the second highest priority resource concern in the county? 50 points

G 3. Does this application address the third highest priority resource concern in the county? 25 points

G 4. Does this application address the fourth highest priority resource concern in the county? 10 points

Grazing Lands

GL 1. Is applicant willing to treat critically eroding areas in the offered fields in pasture, hay land or silvopasture? All critically eroding areas in the offered fields must be properly treated. Related Practices: 342, 590, 561, 382, 362, 410, 381.  40 points

GL 2. For offered pasture and/or hay land with poor stands or undesirable species on >50% of the acreage in each offered field, is applicant willing to establish desirable perennial forage species on the affected areas? Related Practices: 512, 595, 590, 528, 382, 645, 381.  75 points

GL 3. For offered pasture or hay land with poor stands or undesirable species on <50% of the acreage in each offered field, is applicant willing to establish desirable perennial forage species? Related Practices: 512, 595, 590, 528, 382, 645, 381.  50 points

GL 4. Is applicant willing to install seep/spring development(s), pumping plants, or pond(s) for livestock water to facilitate prescribed grazing? Ponds will be fenced with Heavy Use Area Protection for livestock access to water. If this water source is chosen, then other water sources should receive a “no” answer. Related Practices: 574, 342, 614, 561, 516, 378, 533.  25 points

GL 5. Is applicant willing to install well(s), pipeline and trough(s) for livestock water to facilitate prescribed grazing? If this water source is chosen then other water sources should receive a “no” answer. Related Practices: 561, 614, 516, 342, 484, 642.  60 points

GL 6. Is applicant willing to establish heavy use area protection (HUA) for areas that have been damaged by livestock or establish animal trails and walkways or access roads? Examples include existing watering facilities without HUA, whether trough or pond, or static feeding areas. Livestock will be fenced from pond(s) except at site of HUA livestock entrance. This should not be used for maintenance of existing HUA. Related Practices: 561, 382, 342, 484, 590, 575, 560.   50 points

GL 7. Do you wish to treat off-site damage and impacts from livestock such as sediment from erosion and/or nutrients and bacteria to water bodies (streams/ponds/wetlands, sinkholes)? Treatment could include livestock exclusion, buffers, stream crossings, filter strips, hedgerow planting, heavy use area protection, or animal trails and walkways. Related Practices: 342, 382, 393, 561, 717, 590, 512, 590, 528, 574, 578, 580, 612, 472, 642, 614, 516, 391, 472, 638.  25 points

GL 8. Do you wish to establish a silvopasture, prescribed-grazing system? Related Practices: 342, 512, 590, 595, 382, 614, 642, 378, 574, 660, 666, 528, 561, 381, 414, 645, 791.  30 points

GL 9. Do you wish to control noxious weeds / invasive plant species? Related Practice: 595.  25 points

GL 10. Do you wish to use poultry litter as a source of nutrients? Related Practices: 590, 634.  20 points

Forest Health and Wildlife

FHW 1. Is applicant willing to exclude livestock from riparian areas that impact green marked stream segments as shown on EQIP aquatic T&E maps? Minimum of excluding 50 feet from stream to a maximum of 150 feet from stream. To impact these stream segments, property must either be joining OR joining a stream that is within 5 miles upstream and flowing into these segments, including tributaries. Related Practices: 391, 490, 612, 382, 472.  10 points

FHW 2. Is applicant willing to plant longleaf pine seedlings on an 8’ x 12’ spacing or wider AND agrees to prescribed burn same acres on a 2 to 3 year rotation to benefit wildlife and improve diversity? Related practices: 490, 612, 643, 338, 394, 383, 655.  45 points

FHW 3. Is applicant willing to plant loblolly pine seedlings in low density (9’ x 12’ or wider) AND establish permanent firelanes around stand AND establish 10 percent of stand in openings to benefit wildlife and improve diversity? Related Practices: 490, 612, 394, 338, 383, 655.   25 points

FHW 4. Is applicant willing to thin pre-commercial pine stand to 12’ x 12’ spacing (300 TPA) or less OR willing to apply imazapyr herbicide to remove invasive hardwoods from the understory of a thinned pine stand OR apply herbicide to release young longleaf pine seedlings from hardwood or introduced forage grasses? (Prescribed burning is required) Related Practices: 666, 595, 460, 394, 338.  20 points

FHW 5. Is applicant willing to prescribe burn open canopy pine stand on a 2 or 3 year rotation for the length of the contract? Related Practices: 338, 394, 383, 655.  10 points

FHW 6. Is applicant willing to thin down to 60 basal area twice within a 10 year contract AND prescribe burn on a 2 to 3 year rotation on the same acres? NOTE--If answer is yes to this question, then answer to 40 basal area thinning question MUST be "no". Related Practices: 666, 460, 394, 338.  20 points

FHW 7. Is applicant willing to thin down to 40 basal area AND prescribe burn on a 2 to 3 year rotation on the same acres? NOTE--If answer is yes to this question, then answer to 60 basal area thinning question MUST be "no". Related Practices: 666, 460, 394, 338.  25 points

FHW 8. Is applicant willing to adjust species composition and reduce stocking rate with chainsaw method on a natural hardwood stand > 20 years old OR willing to adjust species composition and reduce stocking rate with mechanical or chemical methods on natural hardwood stand <20 years old? Related Practices: 666, 655.  10 points

FHW 9. Is applicant willing to manage>= 5 percent of cropland /fallow land in early successional habitat such as strip disking, open land burning, or fallowing blocks of fields or field edges on a rotational basis? Related Practices: 643, 338, 394, 460.   5 points

FHW 10. Is applicant willing to control invasive species on property? Related Practices: 595 15 points
FHW 11. Are forestry practices needed because of a natural disaster on at least half of all the offered acres? Related Practices: 643, 645, 490, 612, 338, 394.  10 points

FHW 12 Is applicant willing to plant hardwood seedlings to benefit wildlife and improve diversity? Related Practices: 490, 612, 645.  5 points

Water Quality

WQ 1. Is the applicant willing to properly close out an existing well,waste storage pond or waste treatment lagoon? Related Practices: 313, 351, 359, 360, 378, 590, 634.  60 points

WQ 2. Is the applicant willing to install an incinerator with an after burner (air quality) and/or a thermostat (energy conservation) to manage normal animal mortality? Related Practices: 316, 590.  65 points

Soil Quality/Erosion

SQE 1. Is applicant willing to use cover crops in a conventional tillage system to reduce erosion and improve soil quality? Practice 340 25 points

SQE 2. Is applicant willing to install buffer type practices to reduce offsite damages? Related Practices: 342, 386, 393, 412, 391, 620 5 points

SQE 3. If fields are above and within 50 feet of a stream or waterbody is applicant willing to apply all needed practices to reduce sedimentation and runoff? Related Practices: 328, 329, 590, 595, 393, 386, 412, 638, 332, 472 10 points

SQE 4. Do you wish to use poultry litter as a source of nutrients? Related Practices: 590  15 points

SQE 5. Do you wish to control noxious weeds/invasive plant species ? Related Practices: 595 20 points

 

Contact your local NRCS office for more information.

Additional program information is available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.  

<Back to County EQIP