2023 EQIP Application Cutoff Date for Otter Lake Source Water Protection Project
State Conservationist Ivan Dozier announced USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer funding in Macoupin, Morgan, and Sangamon Counties for the Otter Lake Source Water Protection project through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Champaign, IL - December 5, 2022-- State Conservationist Ivan Dozier announced USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer funding in Macoupin, Morgan, and Sangamon Counties for the Otter Lake Source Water Protection project through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). NRCS has partnered with Illinois Corn Growers Association to help producers address resource concerns such as degraded water quality and soil erosion. Producers can apply for assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to implement practices such as denitrifying bioreactors, saturated buffers, cover crops, nutrient management, and no-till. The project focus is to improve water quality in the Otter Lake Watershed located in portions of Macoupin, Morgan, and Sangamon Counties.
Financial assistance will be available to producers whose land is located in the Otter Lake Watershed. While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit a signed application (NRCS-CPA-1200 form) to the local NRCS field office, or submit one through the Farmers.gov website using their account. Submit by the cutoff date of January 6, 2022 to ensure your application is considered for 2023 funding.
A blank NRCS-CPA-1200 application form may be obtained from the local office or on the Illinois NRCS website. Producers who wish to use Farmers.gov can sign in or create an account by clicking on the “Sign up” button in the upper right of the website.
To see if you are eligible to participate in the program, producers should contact their local NRCS field office or visit the Illinois NRCS website.
