A new conservation provision called Soil and Water Conservation Assistance is now available for farmers and ranchers in Grant, Jackson and Winn Parishes.

"Soil and Water Conservation Assistance, or SWCA, provides cost-sharing to help farmers, ranchers, and poultry producers install conservation practices on their land," said Randy Cheveallier, District Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Colfax. "SWCA provides 75 percent of the cost of the installation of eligible conservation practices on private lands. The Farm Service Agency will disburse cost-share funds to the participating landowners.

Soil and Water Conservation Assistance is authorized under the provisions of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. The conservation provision will address the current backlog of conservation applications and other program requests and afford an opportunity for others to apply for program assistance.

"Nationwide, there is about $20 million budgeted for Soil and Water.

Conservation Assistance this year," Cheveallier explained. "Funds are distributed to the states using an allocation formula based on 29 environmental factors. Soil and Water Assistance is carried out in consideration of those areas of the state that are outside of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program priority areas, Wetland Reserve Program priority areas, and Conservation Reserve Program priority areas.

Persons applying for Soil and Water Conservation Assistance must own or control the land and agree to implement specific eligible conservation practices. The contract period is from five to ten years. The maximum total payment per participant for SCWA shall not exceed $50,000.

"The federal cost share shall be 75% of the cost of an eligible practice based on the percent of actual cost with not-to-exceed limits, or flat rates," explained Cheveallier. "The Soil and Water Conservation Assistance program is available to eligible landowners and agricultural producers."

Applications are being taken at the Natural Resources Office in Colfax at 510 Main Street, in Ruston at 1803 Trade Drive or at the Dugdemona Soil and Water Conservation office in Winnfield at 301 West Main Street, Suite 212. The first application period sign-up will end on July 13, 2001.

To fin out more about Soil and Water Conservation Assistance, call the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Colfax at 318-627-9903, Ext. 3 or the Ruston office at 318-255-3136 Ext. 3. You may also contact the Dugdemona Soil and Water Conservation District office at 318-628-4438.

All programs and services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are available on a nondiscriminatory basis.