USDA-NRCS IN KENTUCKY TO HOLD A STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING REGARDING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN HEALTHY WATERSHEDS INITIATIVE (MRBI)

Updated 10/13/2009

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

771 Corporate Drive Suite 210

Lexington, KY 40503

Phone: 859-224-7350

Web: http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov

(Lexington, Ky.), October 13, 2009— A meeting of the Kentucky State Technical Committee is scheduled for October 20, 2009. The meeting will be held at the NRCS State Office second floor conference room located at 771 Corporate Drive in Lexington. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 3:00 p.m.

    The primary purpose of this meeting is to seek your input to help identify up to three watersheds to participate in the recently announced Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). Kentucky is one of 12 states identified to receive part of $320 million over the next four years for this special initiative. For more information on MRBI, please go to the NRCS national webpage to read the USDA news release, role of partners, and step-by-step guide.

     NRCS also wishes to receive your input regarding the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) pooling areas and special initiatives. For the last several years, Kentucky has used 14 different “pooling/ranking areas” in order for similar operations to compete against each other. In fiscal year 2009, several special EQIP initiatives were also offered including air quality, organic and transitioning to organic operations, energy, grassland birds, and forestland. Funds from these special initiatives were taken off the top of Kentucky’s EQIP funding allocation and the remainder went to the 14 pooling areas. Within all of the pooling areas and special initiatives, we established sub-level pools for socially disadvantaged farmers, beginning farmers, and limited resource producers and they competed only with others in the same group. We are seeking your input for the fiscal year 2010 program regarding pooling areas and special initiatives.

    Brief program updates will be provided regarding the NRCS conservation and easement programs.

    As a reminder, USDA uses State Technical Committees in an advisory capacity in the administration of a variety of conservation programs and initiatives. The Committees assist in making technical recommendations relating to the implementation of natural resource conservation activities and programs. USDA considers these recommendations when administering agency programs. State Technical Committees have no implementation or enforcement authority.

    Questions may be directed to Deena Wheby, Natural Resources Conservation Service, at (859) 224-7350 or deena.wheby@ky.usda.gov.

USDA News Release on MRBI

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