USDA Assistance Focuses on Soil Health in Montana’s Musselshell River Watershed

BOZEMAN, Mont., February 27, 2017 – Major flooding in the Musselshell River watershed in 2011, along with isolated ice jam flooding from 2013 to 2017, has left much of the Montana watershed with severely degraded soil health. Agricultural producers in the watershed are encouraged to participate in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to protect these fragile soils. Through a localized initiative, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making EQIP funding available to address soil health and erosion concerns in Wheatland, Golden Valley, and Musselshell counties. NRCS will prioritize conservation planning assistance to focus on practices that improve soil health near the Musselshell River flood plain. While EQIP applications are accepted year-round, applications for this local initiative must be received by March 30, 2018, to be considered for this funding period. “NRCS technical and financial assistance helps landowners develop infrastructure and implement management practices for better soil health,” said Tom Hedt, acting state conservationist for Montana. “Healthy soil improves soil stability, decreases erosion, and increases water quality and quantity in our rivers among many other benefits.”