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<br />B. Federal Aaricultural Assistance Proorams <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />w <br />, . <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />Several programs administered by agencies in the U.S. Department of <br />Agriculture may be pertinent to landowners seeking to improve nonpoint source <br />water quality problems. These programs are'not necessarily intendea to,have <br />water quality as a primary focus/, however"water quality is a factor for <br />consideration in funding of specific projects. The Nonpoint Source Task Force <br />and the Water Quality Control Division will pursue use of these funding <br />programs for nonpoint purposes. The following is a brief summary of those <br />programs: <br /> <br />1. Aaricultural Conservation prooram IACP\ <br /> <br />This program offers cost sharing for soil, water, and forestry practices <br />of long term benefit. It is administered by the Agricultural <br />stabilization and Conservation service (ASCS) of the U.s. Department of <br />Agriculture (USDA). The Soil, Conservation Service (SCS) of the USDA, <br />through the local soil conservation districts, provides technical <br />assistanoe in determining where soil and water conservation practices are <br />needed and feasible, preparing farm and ranch conservation plans, and <br />designing specific best management practices. SCS also supervises and <br />certifies the proper installation of some of these practices. <br /> <br />Assistance under ACP may provide up to 60% of the costs for conservation <br />practioes. Farmers, ranchers, and nonindustrial owners of forest land are <br />eligible for' ACP funds. In recent years an emphasis on water pOllution <br />control has led to ACP funding being used for control of nonpoint <br />sources. Particularly, ACP special project funding may be used to combat , <br />water quality problems. Nationally, ACP is funding, a large number of <br />water quality special projects. The projects provide significant <br />additional cost share assistance to small watershed areas to deal with <br />nonpoint water quality problems on a local basis. <br /> <br />2. Conservation Teohnical Assistance ICTAl <br /> <br />Technical assistance for the application'of conservation practices is <br />provided to cooperators ,of soil conservation districts, by theSCS under <br />Public Law 74-76. Preparation and application of individual conservation <br />plans is the main form of technical assistance provided. This assistance <br />includes interpreting existing soil survey data and,conducting <br />site-specific investigations of soil, plant, water, and other physical <br />conditions to determine appropriate alternative systems of land use and <br />land treatment. It also includes assistance in applying the land <br />treatment systems described in the plan, including design, layout, and <br />installation of conservation practices. <br /> <br />3. Great Plains Conservation ProClram IGPCP\ <br /> <br />This program, administered by the SCS through the local soil conservation <br />districts, was originally designed to help control wind and water erosion <br />in the Great Plains states. All counties east of the Continental Divide <br />in Colorado are therefore included under the purview of this program. Top <br />priorities of the GPCP are erosion control on non-irrigated cropland and <br />range land improvement. Nonpoint source control is a lower priority of <br />GPCP, but is eligible for funding consideration. GPCP may provide cost <br />sharing or up to 80% for conservation practices however, average cost <br />sharing is less than 65%. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Page 26 <br /> <br />:~. <br /> <br />I. <br />" <br />