Arkansas

Harvesting a field in Arkansas

News

Find a Service Center

Arkansas NRCS News Releases (2012)

Arkansas Media Liaison: (Reginald Jackson, 501-301-3133)

NRCS Announces National Water Quality Initiative Conservation in Arkansas

Agricultural Producers located in priority watersheds will be able to participate

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 8, 2012 — State Conservationist Mike Sullivan announced the launch of a new National Water Quality Initiative committed to improving impaired watersheds located within the Bayou Bartholomew watershed in Arkansas. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will manage the initiative by making funds available to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in the selected watersheds.

J.A. FAIR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PLANT ‘ABRAHAM LINCOLN’ HEIRLOOM TOMATOES IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY AND 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF USDA

LITTLE ROCK, AR– Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Mike Sullivan toured J.A. Fair High School’s Environmental Science Program on April 27 and gave a presentation to students during an Earth Day program at the school. This year, in addition to Earth Day, the presentation also honored the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Salem Conservationist Wins Regional Earth Team Award

Little Rock, Arkansas – May 2, 2012 – Kelly Shrable, district conservationist in the Salem Field Service Center, has been named the winner of a multi-state USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) award. Shrable received the 2012 NRCS Earth Team Central Region Employee Award from Mike Sullivan, Arkansas NRCS state conservationist, and Erica Westbrook, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations, during a ceremony at an NRCS northwest area meeting in Russellville on April 25.

USDA and NRCS Participate in Meeting and Tour in Memphis, TN, and Clarksdale, MS, to Address Strategies to Protect Natural Resources in the Mississippi River Basin

Little Rock, AR — The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force will host a meeting April 10 beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Select, 160 Union Ave., in Memphis, TN. Federal and state officials from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., will meet to discuss national and local strategies to address nutrient pollution and water quality in the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico. The Task Force was established in 1997 to reduce and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, the Task Force has undertaken a variety of efforts to achieve these goals.

USDA NRCS Announces Funding Available for Agricultural Water Enhancement Project in White County

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 15, 2012 – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Mike Sullivan announced more than $830,000 is available to agricultural producers through an Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) project in a portion of White County. Producers in the project area have until April 13 to sign up for 2012 funding.

Arkansas NRCS Announces Funding for Innovation Grants

Little Rock, Arkansas – Mike Sullivan, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state conservationist, announced approximately $200,000 in funding is available through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies within Arkansas.

Funds will be awarded through a two-phase statewide competitive grants process that will include a pre-proposal process and full proposal process. Only pre-proposals are being solicited at this time. The full proposal process will only be open to applicants whose pre-proposal applications are selected by NRCS. Applications for the pre-proposal phase must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 5 p.m. (CDT) March 6, 2012. In addition, one original and three copies must be received in the Arkansas NRCS state office.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Accepting 2012 EQIP Organic, Ag Energy and High Tunnel Applications through March 30, 2012

Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 16, 2011 – Farmers and landowners in Arkansas have until March 30, 2012, to submit applications to receive cost-share assistance to implement conservation activities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program’s Organic, Ag Energy and High Tunnel Initiatives for the 2012 program year. Applicants can sign up at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.

NRCS Announces Sign Up for Illinois River and Eucha-Spavinaw Watershed Initiative

Cutoff Date for Applications is Feb. 13, 2012

Little Rock, AR, Jan. 23, 2012 — Farmers and landowners in Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas have until Feb. 13, 2012, to submit applications to receive cost-share assistance to implement conservation practices through the Illinois River Sub-Basin and Eucha-Spavinaw Lake Watershed Initiative. Applicants can sign up at the Benton and Washington county USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field service centers.

USDA Announces Assistance for Wetland Restoration and Enhancement

Project Proposals Due by Feb. 10, 2012

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Funding is available through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore, enhance, protect, and manage habitat for migratory birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife through the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP). WREP is a voluntary conservation program that works through partnership agreements with states, non-governmental organizations and tribes.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Disaster Assistance to Producers and Communities in 33 States and Puerto Rico

Funding Will Help Producers, Landowners and Communities Rebuild and Repair Damaged Land after Year of Extreme Weather

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today an important package of disaster assistance to help farmers, landowners, communities and others recover and rebuild after a year in which a wave of natural disasters swept across all regions of the United States.

Arkansas will receive $5,389,280 through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program. USDA Farm Service Agency in Arkansas will receive $1,067,000 for the Emergency Conservation Program and $1,562,000 for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program.

USDA Announces Funding for Water Quality Markets, Seeks Proposals for Projects

$10 Million Available for Projects Nationally

WASHINGTON, January 18, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a funding opportunity that will bring states, USDA and other stakeholders together to enhance the effectiveness of water quality credit trading. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing up to $10 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for these projects, with up to $5 million focused on water quality credit trading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Proposals for projects are due March 2, 2012.

USDA Mississippi River Basin Partnership Project Proposals Due March 19, 2012

Projects Would Improve Water Quality and Conserve Wetland Habitat on Farms in 13 States

LITTLE ROCK, AR, January 12, 2012 –USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced that proposals for conservation projects addressing water quality and wetland conservation in the Mississippi River Basin are due to NRCS by March 19, 2012. Accepted projects would support conservation efforts already underway on agricultural operations in the basin, improve the overall health of the Mississippi River, and help reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

NRCS Announces Funding for Grassland Reserve Program

Cutoff Date for Applications is Feb. 3, 2012

Little Rock, AR, Jan. 12, 2012 — Mike Sullivan, state conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arkansas, and Linda Newkirk, state executive director for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Arkansas, announced $639,415 is available to Arkansas landowners through the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP). Although applications may be taken at any time, only those applications submitted by Feb. 3, 2012, will be evaluated and ranked for funding for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 program.

Deadline for USDA Conservation Innovation Grant Pre-proposals January 31

LITTLE ROCK, AR, Jan. 11, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reminded applicants that January 31, 2012, is the last day to submit project pre-proposals for fiscal year 2012 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Pre-proposals support large-scale demonstration projects that test and prove original approaches to conserving America’s private lands.

USDA Extends Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up to Jan. 27, 2012

WASHINGTON, January 11, 2012 – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White today announced that the cut-off date for the current Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) ranking period has been extended to January 27, 2012. Producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship are eligible for CSP payments.

USDA Announces Environmental Quality Incentives Program Sign-Up Deadline to address the StrikeForce Initiative in 25 Identified High Poverty Counties in Arkansas

Little Rock, Ark., Jan. 11, 2012 – Farmers and landowners in the 25 Arkansas StrikeForce Counties have until Feb. 13, 2012, to submit applications to receive cost-share assistance to implement conservation activities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2012 program year. Applicants can sign up at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Accepting Applications through Feb. 13, 2012, for 10 Mississippi River Basin Initiative projects in Arkansas

Little Rock, Ark., Jan. 9, 2012 – Farmers and landowners in numerous counties in Arkansas have until Feb. 13, 2012, to submit applications to receive cost-share assistance to implement conservation practices through 10 Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) projects. Applicants can sign up at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.

Additional Information

Last Modified: 05/08/2012