<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><h2 style="border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,0,0);clear:both;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:1.2em;margin:20px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">News Release</h2><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:17.1360015869141px">WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2014</strong><br></p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">The U.S. Department of Agriculture is publishing a rule that outlines how it will improve the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, one of USDA’s largest conservation programs. The interim final rule includes program changes authorized by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill. </p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">USDA has established a 60-day comment period for the rule. The rule is expected to be available in the <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQxMjExLjM5MjQ4NTIxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MTIxMS4zOTI0ODUyMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTczNzUwJmVtYWlsaWQ9cGF0cmljaWFfZGVhbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXBhdHJpY2lhX2RlYW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&https://www.federalregister.gov/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(29,87,130)">Federal Register</a> and <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQxMjExLjM5MjQ4NTIxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MTIxMS4zOTI0ODUyMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTczNzUwJmVtYWlsaWQ9cGF0cmljaWFfZGVhbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXBhdHJpY2lhX2RlYW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.regulations.gov/#!home" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(29,87,130)">regulations.gov</a> on Friday, Dec. 12.</p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:17.1360015869141px">“This interim final rule provides a roadmap to help streamline and simplify EQIP for farmers and ranchers,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. 'We strongly encourage agricultural producers, private forest landowners and stakeholders to provide comments on our implementation processes.'</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:17.1360015869141px"> "</span></p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:1.5">See full News Release: </span><span style="line-height:1.5"><a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=STELPRDB1265528">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=STELPRDB1265528</a> </span><br></p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><strong style="line-height:1.5">Additional Resources:</strong><br></p><table style="font-size:13px;line-height:19.5px;width:290px;border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="border-collapse:collapse;vertical-align:top;padding-right:3px!important"></td><td valign="top" style="border-collapse:collapse;vertical-align:top"></td><td valign="top" style="border-collapse:collapse;vertical-align:top"><p align="left" style="margin:0px 0px 1em;font-stretch:normal;line-height:1.5;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQxMjExLjM5MjQ4NTIxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MTIxMS4zOTI0ODUyMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTczNzUwJmVtYWlsaWQ9cGF0cmljaWFfZGVhbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXBhdHJpY2lhX2RlYW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/farmbill/?cid=stelprdb1242633" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(29,87,130)">Learn more about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em">For more information about interim final rules for USDA NRCS’s Farm Bill conservation programs, visit </span><a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1263599" style="color:rgb(0,87,130);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;text-decoration:none">EQIP Rule Page</a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em">:</span></p><p align="left" style="font-size:13px;line-height:1.5;margin:13px 0px;font-stretch:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#000000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size:small;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12px;line-height:16.3799991607666px"><a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1263599">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1263599</a></span></font><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span></p><p style="font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;margin-bottom:2em;margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">For more information on technical and financial assistance available through EQIP, visit the <a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1242633" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(0,87,130)">EQIP Web page</a>:<span style="font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em"> <a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1242633">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=stelprdb1242633</a> </span></p><p style="font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;margin-bottom:2em;margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-align:center">#</p><p style="font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;margin-bottom:2em;margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> </p><p style="font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.4em;margin-bottom:2em;margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).</p></div></div>