Rhode Island State Technical Committee Meeting Notes

Introductions, Review Agenda, and Opening Comments

Roylene Rides at the Door, NRCS-RI State Conservationist, welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending.  She briefly reviewed the agenda (attached).

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Vicky Drew, NRCS EQIP Program Manager, provided a brief update of the FY 2006 EQIP funding Allocations and proposed sub accounts.  This year $3.752 million will be available for EQIP contracts.  Based upon the available funding she presented to the Team nine sub accounts and asked if funding from one account was not fully used, how would the Team recommend to the State Conservationist a priority for reallocation of those funds.

The Team recommended that Water Quality – Livestock, Water Quality – Other and Water Quality – Aquaculture be listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd priority respectively.

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

Vicky announced the availability of the national and state Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) that the RI CIGs are due into the State Office by COB on March 31, 2006. She handed out a copy of Section V. Application Review (attached) where a subcommittee of the RI STT will serve as a Peer Review Panel.  Rob Swanson and Kris Stuart volunteered for this Panel.  She will be looking for one to three other STT members to serve on this Panel and will be contacting them for a date to set up review session(s).

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Joe Bachand, NRCS WHIP Program Manager provided the Team with copies of NRCS’s National Bulleting No. 300-6-9 (Use of WHIP Funds), Sections 517.23 and 24 from the General Manual on Eligible Land and Processing Applications for the Team to review.  Joe was seeking advice from the Team to make a recommendation to the State Conservationist on how to allocate WHIP funds amongst the private landowners and municipalities.  Mr. Bachand also recommended the Team consider a minimum ranking threshold level for funding of WHIP contracts.   After some discussion the Team recommended the State Conservationist consider a 60:40 ratio (private land owner vs. municipal and NGO lands) for allocation of funding and to research past years rankings to see what threshold levels were apparent for prior year contracts.  Based upon recommendations from the STT a FY 2006 WHIP allocation and minimum Ranking Threshold was established (see attached).

Farm Viability

Ken Ayers, Chief, RI DEM, Division of Agriculture, reported on: the progress recently made in Rhode Island with promoting Rhode Island beef through a meat marketing effort (local operating meat processing facility for locally raised meat products); progress with the wool imitative by the Rhode Island RC&D Council to develop some type of organization to promote and use locally raised wool; progress on local cheese manufacturing; promotion of local Agro tourism efforts with RICAPE; and a new effort on “Farm to School” , an effort to have large suppliers work with schools to supply locally grown food. 
 

Next meeting:  April 19th, 2006 (9:30AM – 12 Noon).

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