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<br />month period (April 4 - October 1, 1996). During the phase-in period, "Interim EQIP" will <br />continue to use the functions of the Colorado River Salinity Control Program to write new <br />contracts. Interim EQIP tenninates October 1, 1996. During this phase-in period, the Secretary <br />of Agriculture is directed to develop and issue final regulations for carrying out EQIP. <br /> <br />~ <br />"".... <br />o <br />~ <br /> <br />Under EQIP, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enter into contracts of not less <br />than 5 years nor more than 10 years in duration. The Secretary of Agriculture is directed to <br />develop and use a competitive offer/priority setting process in order to maximize the <br />environmental benefits achieved per dollar expended. While the EQIP provides that the federal <br />share of cost-share payments to a producer shall not be more than 75 percent of the projected cost <br />of the practices being installed (the present cost-share is 70 percent under the CRSC program), <br />the total amount of cost-share and incentive payments to a producer may not exceed $10,000 for <br />any fiscal year and $50,000 for any multi-year contract. The Secretary of Agriculture may exceed <br />the annual amount limitation based on his case-by-case assessment of need and whether doing so <br />is consistent with the per dollar maximization of environmental benefits, <br /> <br />Description of the Plan of Implementation <br /> <br />For the 1996 Triennial Review the plan of implementation consists of the following: <br /> <br />1. Completion of Reclamation, BLM and USDA salinity control measures to the <br />extent that each unit remains viable and appropriately cost effective. <br /> <br />2. Implementation of the Forum's recommended and adopted policies (included in <br />Appendix B of this Review). The implemented policies are the following: <br /> <br />Imposition of effluent limitations, principally under the National Pollutant <br />Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program provided for in <br />Section 402 of the Clean Water Act of 1977, on industrial and municipal <br />discharges, based on the Forum's 1977 "Policy for Implementation of <br />Colorado River Salinity Standards Through the NPDES Permit Program; " <br /> <br />"Policy for Use of Brackish and/or Saline Waters for Industrial Purposes;" <br /> <br />"Policy for Implementation of the Colorado River Salinity Standards <br />Through the NPDES Permit Program for Intercepted Ground Water;" and <br /> <br />"Policy for Implementation of the Colorado River Salinity Standards <br />Through the NPDES Permit Program for Fish Hatcheries. " <br /> <br />3. Implementation of non-point source management plans developed by the states and <br />approved by EP A. <br /> <br />Item 1 of the plan of implementation listed above is to be implemented by federal agencies <br />in conjunction with state, local and private participants. The Forum works jointly with federal <br /> <br />3-5 <br />