NRCS in N.H. Announces Extended Signup Period for Select EQIP, AMA and CSP Applications for Fiscal Year 2024

DOVER, N.H. April 10, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Hampshire has announced that it has extended the signup period for specific opportunities in EQIP, CSP and AMA.

            The signup period for the following programs in the statewide funding pool have been extended from April 12, 2024, to May 10, 2024:

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
  • Only applications for Conservation Plan Activity (CPA), Design, Implementation Activity (DIA), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMA) will be eligible for consideration through May 10th under this announcement.
• Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA)
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Additionally, NRCS in N.H. is announcing a new signup period for customers with operations in Carroll and Coös Counties to apply for all Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applications funded under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

Applications for these IRA-funded financial assistance programs must be received by May 10, 2024, to be considered in this round of funding. 

The above programs are all being offered under the NRCS’s Act Now initiative. Under Act Now, NRCS has the authority to immediately preapprove and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State determined minimum threshold score. 

For this round, the threshold of 10 points has been established. 

The Act Now authority allows NRCS to allocate funding to high value conservation projects as applications are received – on a rolling basis – if they meet the 10-point threshold. This results in accelerated service, processing, and implementation of conservation activities: more conservation, sooner. Learn more about Act Now here.

Assistance is only a phone call away. NRCS and FSA staff are ready to answer your questions, work to ensure your success with USDA Farm Bill programs, and address conservation concerns on your land.

With new technology in place, many required documents can now be signed virtually, right from a smart phone or computer, significantly reducing mailing delays and trips to the local service center. This helps keep producers where they need to be – in the field and on the farm.     

You can find your local service center on the USDA’s Farmers.gov website here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center. 

While NRCS New Hampshire has established official application signup periods, NRCS accepts program applications year-round on a continuous basis. Signup dates are necessary for the agency to assess and rank applications against each other for funding, based on their potential conservation impact.

For more information on NRCS Farm Bill programs, you can visit the NRCS, New Hampshire website here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/NewHampshire

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