Environmental Quality Incentives Program Conservation Incentive Contract (EQIP-CIC) - Minnesota
October 6, 2023
NRCS accepts EQIP applications year-round but establishes cutoff dates to make funding selections for eligible, screened, and ranked applications.
EQIP-CIC is a voluntary conservation program administered by NRCS that offers farmers, ranchers, and nonindustrial private forest landowners financial and technical assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices and activities on working agricultural and forestry landscapes. Conservation Incentive Contracts offer conservation practices, which producers can implement to address resource concerns. Unlike the Conservation Stewardship Program, EQIP-CIC doesn’t require the producer to enroll their entire operation to participate.
The conservation goals and funding priorities of the EQIP CIC High Priority Area (HPA) ranking pools are to focus on providing resource protection across the state of Minnesota.
Eligibility
High Priority Area(s) (HPAs), Priority Resource Concerns (PRCs) and relevant land uses:
The following have been identified as the HPAs, Land Use and Resource Concerns (category level) for this sign up. 50% or more of the application will need to be in the HPA on eligible land and meeting at least one of the eligible Resource Concern Category(s) (RCCs).
Approved One Watershed One Plan Watersheds:
- NW: Otter Tail
- NE: Rum River
- SE: Lower MN River West
- SW: Hawk Creek-Middle MN
Land Uses:
- Cropland & Pasture
RCCs
- Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss
- Soil Quality Limitations
- Livestock Production Limitations