How do farmers pay for replacing existing systems with managed drainage?
• USDA’s farmland conservation programs could pay for a significant amount of the cost of installing or replacing new drainage water management systems. For instance, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), could cover 50 to 60 percent of landowners’ costs. Under the 2008 Farm Program, producers will be able to sign up for DWM as a conservation practice under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Producers will be able to sign a five-year contract for managing conservation practices. NRCS’ conservation technical assistance funding could also pay for helping producers design the right systems for their land. • Through targeted research, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the CSREES can estimate the amount of nutrient reduction occurring in different regions as a result of installing this new technology. These estimates could ultimately result in producers earning “credits” that they could sell under a state or regional trading system. USDA and EPA have placed
