$500,000 Available to Farmers in the South San Joaquin Irrigation District
Applications will be accepted through April 29, 2013
STOCKTON, Calif., March 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is providing funds to improve the efficiency of agricultural water use in the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID), Division Nine Irrigation Enhancement Project Area. The deadline to submit an application for assistance is April 29, 2013.
"We are proud to offer landowners in this irrigation district additional financial assistance to help them meet their water efficiency goals," said Carlos Suarez, NRCS California state conservationist. "Water is a precious resource and California's farmers are committed to using each drop as efficiently as possible."
Landowners that operate within the selected SSJID project area, located west of the City of Ripon, are eligible for funding. This funding will assist eligible landowners fund the installation of new pipelines, micro-irrigation sprinklers, and other equipment to conserve on-farm water. Applications that provide the greatest environmental benefit will receive a higher priority in the evaluation process.
Approximately $500,000 is available to eligible landowners through a cost-share agreement. Approved landowners typically receive 50 percent of the cost of installation to help them afford the cost of the conservation practices.
This is the second time that NRCS is making funds available to this irrigation district through the NRCS California Bay Delta Initiative. In Fiscal Year 2011, NRCS partnered with the Bureau of Reclamation to fund rural infrastructure upgrades congruent with on-farm conservation enhancements.
For more information, please visit the NRCS Stockton Service Center located at 3422 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton, Calif., 95219, or call (209) 472-7127 Ext 3. Additional information on NRCS's conservation programs can be found at http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.
NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water and other natural resources since 1935. For more information on NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.
SOURCE USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service
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