CANTON -- St. Lawrence County farmers and landowners have until Feb. 17 to apply for 2012 USDA conservation program funding.

The programs include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA).

Applications are competitive and ranked based on national, state, and locally identified resource priorities, and their overall benefit to the environment.

These programs are voluntary opportunities to address concerns related to soil, energy, water, air, plants, and animals through a variety of Farm Bill conservation programs.

Each year, more than 1,000 farmers or landowners work with NRCS New York employees to work for cleaner water, productive soils and improved grasslands.

Here are more details on the programs:

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/index.html) offers financial assistance in the form of engineered structures, such as manure handling facilities, and conservation practices such as grassed waterways. Focus areas within the EQIP program include livestock waste, cropland, and grazing. If you are new to EQIP, visit http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/eligibility.html to see if you qualify.

• Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) (http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/index.html) focuses on improving irrigation efficiency through micro-irrigation. A primary goal of the program is to assist agricultural producers in mitigating risk through production diversification.

If you are interested in applying for conservation program, visit or call the USDA-NRCS office in Canton at 1942 Old DeKalb Road, 386-2401.