USDA working group to meet

PARIS — The Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District will host a meeting of the Oxford County USDA Local Working Group on December 18, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Oxford County Cooperative Extension building, 9 Olson Road in South Paris.

Olson Road is located about a mile north of South Paris village on Route 26, the first right after Jewell Tire Center.

Local Working Groups assist the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in matters relating to the implementation and technical aspects of conservation programs under Title II of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). Agenda items include:

• Prioritizing resource concerns affecting land-users in Oxford County, and setting funding allocation pool percentages.

• Reviewing the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) practices and payment rates proposed for Oxford County program participants for FY 2012.

• Establishing local ranking questions for Oxford County EQIP Application Evaluation Ranking Tool (AERT).

This meeting is open to the public. Please call Jean E. Federico at 743-5789, ext. 111 if you have questions or have special needs in order to attend this meeting. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.