Act Now Streamlines the Review of Producer Applications
Act Now, allows NRCS to quickly approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State-determined minimum threshold, ranking score.
Alabama, Nov. 20, 2023 –The Alabama Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Office will use the new “Act Now” policy to deliver conservation practices faster. Act Now, allows NRCS to quickly approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State-determined minimum threshold, ranking score.
This means under the Act Now policy, qualifying applications are automatically approved to move forward in the process without waiting for all submissions to be made in a given period. That is what allows the NRCS to “Act Now” in moving applications to the point of contract obligation more quickly.
Under the Act Now policy, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Fiscal Year 2024 applications will be put into ranking pools, based on these conservation practices:
- Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative (75-point minimum ranking score)
- Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative (120-point minimum ranking score)
- On-farm Energy Initiative (60-point minimum ranking score)
- Irrigation Initiative (50-point minimum ranking score)
- CPAs, DIAs and CEMAs (10-point minimum ranking score)
- Small-Scale and Urban Agriculture (30-point minimum ranking score)
You can find how your application scores will be calculated, here.
Alabama producers wanting help implementing the listed conservation practices, may start submitting applications now, for consideration under Act Now policy guidelines that take effect January 3, 2024.
Applications eligible for the identified Act Now ranking pools will be accepted on a continuous sign-up basis through May 3, 2024, at which time the Act Now submission period will close.
Act Now applications will be batched and processed in the order they’re received, with selections made on a weekly basis.
The qualified Act Now applications will be pre-approved while funds remain available. They then move forward to the contracting process at your local NRCS Field Office.
The Act Now policy (440-CPM-530-D-530.37) streamlines the application process, as part of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Equity Action Plan.
This means no longer having to wait for all applications to be reviewed, prior to making approvals for a ranking pool.
For more information about assistance available, contact your local USDA Service Center.
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