USDA assistance apps due Feb. 15

EAST LANSING — Michigan farmers and forest owners who submit applications by Feb. 15 will be considered for the current selection for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation financial assistance. Conservation financial assistance is available for implementing a wide variety of practices to reduce soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat, protect water quality and manage private forest land.

Conservation financial assistance is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Complete applications received by Feb. 15, will be ranked and considered for fiscal year 2019 funding. Financial assistance is available for implementing designated conservation practices such as windbreaks, nutrient management plans, cover crops, forest management plans, crop residue and tillage management, animal waste storage facilities and many others. Applications are ranked and selected for funding on a competitive basis.

A portion of USDA conservation funding is targeted to state-level conservation priorities. These include funds for farmers seeking Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program verification, high tunnels in Wayne and Genesee counties, honey bee habitat, organic producers and producers transitioning to organic production, creating or improving monarch butterfly habitat, practices to address concentrated flow erosion, and energy conservation.

Conservation activities receiving financial assistance must be part of an agricultural or forest operation’s conservation plan. Producers should work with their local NRCS or conservation district staff to develop a conservation plan before applying for the program. Successful applicants enter into a contract with NRCS to implement conservation activities and are reimbursed for a portion of the cost.

NRCS provides higher levels of financial assistance for beginning farmers and historically underserved producers. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis, and producers and forest owners are encouraged to submit applications at any time. For details, visit www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov.

Artists sought for residence program

MARQUETTE — Applications are now being accepted for the Porcupine Mountains Artist-in-Residence Program for 2019 spring, summer and fall and 2020 winter residencies. The program is open to artists and artisans whose work can be influenced by the unique northern wilderness setting of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

The program offers writers, composers and all visual and performing artists an opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Michigan’s largest state park, and to express it through their art form. Each year, artists are selected for residencies lasting a minimum of two weeks. They are given the use of a rustic cabin located on the Little Union River and, if requested, a three-night backcountry permit so that each may live in and explore the park’s 60,000 acres of natural beauty.

The program is open to all art forms except those that may be inconsistent with the mission of the park. Selection is based on artistic integrity, ability to reside in a wilderness environment, ability to relate to and interpret the park through the artists’ medium, and willingness to donate an original, finished piece of art inspired by their stay. Artists also will be asked to share their experiences with the public through a demonstration or talk during their residencies.

Application materials for the Porcupine Mountains Artist-in-Residence Program can be found at the Friends of the Porkies webpage at porkies.org/artist-in-residence.

Applications for the 2019-2020 season must be received by Feb. 15. Selected artists will be notified by phone in mid-April, and by April 22, selections will be posted on the webpage and on the Friends of the Porkies Facebook page.