Dave White, Chief of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, enriched California's air quality resources by $5 million during his first visit to California as head of the national conservation agency.

The additional money will bring to $20.9 million the funds NRCS in California is making available to help farmers and ranchers reduce air quality emissions from off-road mobile or stationary agricultural sources. Applications are being taken until June 26, 2009.

"These funds should help California producers comply with local and state regulations," said White who is in California to chair the national Agricultural Air Quality Task Force meeting in Fresno.

"We believe agriculture can be on the leading edge of setting a cleaner, greener example for protecting the air we all breathe. We're doing what we can to help in that pursuit - technically and financially."

The funds will share the costs of practices that have been shown to reduce ozone precursors [oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)] and particulate matter [respirable (PM10) and fine (PM2.5)] emissions from agricultural sources.

Applications will be ranked and funded based on the amount of emission reductions achieved in the proposed plan.

Funded practices include the NRCS' combustions system air emissions management practice to improve high polluting engines with newer, reduced-emission technologies. Stationary, portable and heavy-duty off-road mobile systems will be included. Other covered air quality practices will include conservation tillage, dust control on farm roads, precision pest control, and manure injection.

The primary goal of this new portion of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is to help farmers and ranchers attain the standards set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Producers in the 36 California counties that are currently not in compliance with one or more of these standards are eligible for the new air quality portion of the EQIP program.

The 36 eligible counties are: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura and Yolo. Interested applicants in eligible counties should contact their local NRCS service center.