EQIP CPAs, DIAs, and CEMAs
Learn about EQIP Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs).
Applications for EQIP are accepted year-round. To be considered for FY 2025 EQIP IRA funds for Round 3, applications must be received by February 28, 2025.
NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP. Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.
Some of these benefits include:
Watch how farmers and ranchers across the country are implementing EQIP practices and other conservation activities in our Conservation at Work video series. For example, see how producers are using the nutrient management conservation practice to improve water quality by more effectively using nutrients.
Targeted EQIP financial assistance is available through several conservation initiatives. See which initiative is available in your state.
EQIP offers grant opportunities through Conservation Innovation Grants, which awards competitive grants that stimulate the development and adoption of innovative approaches and technologies for conservation on agricultural lands.
NRCS offers technical assistance at no cost. Producers can use our personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to make informed decisions about their land.
Technical Service Providers (TSP) can help producers plan, design and implement conservation practices or develop conservation activity plans to improve their agricultural operations. For more information on the Technical Service Provider program, visit the TSP page.
Technical assistance is also offered through our Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program.
Need a local Technical Service Provider? Visit the locate a TSP page.
The first step is to contact your local NRCS office. An NRCS conservation planner will schedule a visit to your property. They will walk the land with you to discuss your goals and review any resource concerns. Following the site visit, the conservation planner will develop a conservation plan that includes a variety of conservation practices or activities to address the resource concerns and management goals discussed.
Applications for NRCS conservation programs are accepted on a continuous basis; however, customers should apply by state-specific ranking dates to be considered for the current funding cycle.
To learn more about EQIP, contact your local NRCS office.
EQIP Data, 2009 - Present
NRCS program data are housed on the Resource Conservation Assessment Data Viewer. EQIP data for FY2009 to the present are available on the EQIP data page. Fiscal year 2014 - 2021 financial assistance data related to EQIP and other NRCS programs are available on farmers.gov.
NRCS accepts applications for EQIP year-round. To be considered for FY 2025 funds for Round 1, applications must be received by October 22, 2024.
When you apply for EQIP, your application may compete in one or more statewide funding pools, based on the predominant land use and type of conservation project being proposed for funding.
For fiscal year 2025, Connecticut NRCS is prioritizing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding targeted to help farmers and forest landowners apply climate-smart practices to improve their operations' resiliency and productivity. We're also funding National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) implementation practices targeted at the Broad Brook, Farm River and Little River watersheds to address water quality resource concerns identified by state and federal partners.
Connecticut NRCS also offers farmers and forest landowners streamlined application ranking and approval through Act Now.
Scroll down for a complete list of Connecticut NRCS' funding pools and the ranking criteria for each.
EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis; however, NRCS establishes application cut-off or submission deadline dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers. The following describes how to apply for Farm Bill programs or visit Get Started with NRCS.
EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers. To be considered for funding, all applications must meet the criteria for both producer eligibility and land eligibility.
- be considered an agricultural producer
- have control of the land for the life of the contract
- be in compliance with federal highly erodible land and wetland conservation
provisions
- be within appropriate payment limitation requirements and adjusted gross
income requirements
Applicants are responsible for completing and filing all application and eligibility paperwork as required. If funded, participants are required to sign a contract and agree to implement the planned conservation practices to NRCS standards and specifications as scheduled.
Input from outside groups, agencies, and citizens: The list of eligible practices in Connecticut, payment rates and limits, eligible resource concerns, and state scoring criteria are developed based on input and recommendations from the State Technical Committee (STC). The STC is made up of representatives from various agri-businesses, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.
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STARTING A PRACTICE PRIOR TO WRITTEN CONTRACT APPROVAL WILL RESULT IN THE INELIGIBILITY OF THE PRACTICE FOR EQIP ASSISTANCE, UNLESS A WAIVER HAS BEEN APPROVED.
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All Connecticut program payment rates and practice scenario descriptions are available on the National USDA NRCS Payment Schedule website.
Connecticut NRCS, as documented in CT NRCS Instruction 300-398, will apply a practice payment cap when contracting Access Road (CPS 560). This cap will be applied to all access roads, except those that are prescribed under a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP). In all other instances, practice payment for Access Road (560) will be capped at
A waiver to this policy is available and may only be approved by the State Conservationist or their delegee.
Connecticut NRCS accepts applications for EQIP on a continuous basis. Periodically, the state conservationist will announce a batching date and ranking period. All applications that are in an Eligible status on the advertised batching date will be evaluated and considered for funding in that ranking period.
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CONNECTICUT SUB-ACCOUNTS
Connecticut Sub-Accounts and Ranking Documents
Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry – using funding through the Inflation Reduction Act (EQIP-IRA)
EQIP-IRA helps farmers & forest landowners apply Climate-Smart practices like cover crops, conservation tillage, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, forage & hay planting, and energy improvements to improve their lands' resiliency and productivity. View our list of climate-smart conservation practices and practice videos from across the country.
CT EQIP IRA Ranking Pools & Ranking Questions:
EQIP Conservation Incentive Contracts are a new option under EQIP through Farm Bill 2018. EQIP CIC provides financial assistance to adopt conservation activities on working landscapes and provides annual payments, similar to CSP. The EQIP CIC payment limitation is $200,000 under the 2018 Farm Bill, and is separate from the $450,000 payment limitation for EQIP (EQIP general and IRA funding combined)
EQIP IRA CIC contracts will focus on addressing at least one of the following resource concerns on a single land use, using at least on priority CSAF practice:
EQIP General Ranking Pools and Ranking Questions
EQIP ACT NOW Ranking Pools and Ranking Questions
NRCS has developed a faster process to approve applications for conservation programs. Using our “Act Now” authority, NRCS can now pre-approve applications when they meet or exceed a pre-determined minimum ranking score. Applications are ranked according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide, and the needs of applicants.
For fiscal year 2025, CT NRCS is offering Act Now starting Oct. 7, 2024, and ending April 1, 2025, for the following options:
Includes the following practices:
*Some practice scenarios may not be available in IRA
Includes the following practices:
± See more information about NRCS CPAs, DIAs, and CEMAs
APPLY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM (EQIP)
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers.
LEARN MORE (Apply-For-Environmental-Quality-Incentives-Program-EQIP)
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS AND RANCHERS
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) includes provisions that address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers ("historically underserved producers").
LEARN MORE (Getting-Assistance/Underserved-Farmers-Ranchers)
FARM BILL
The 2018 Farm Bill was enacted on December 20, 2018. The Farm Bill continues its strong support for conservation efforts of America's farmers and ranchers through reauthorization and expanded flexibility of NRCS conservation programs.
LEARN MORE (Getting-Assistance/Farm-Bill)
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers.
Learn MoreThe 2018 Farm Bill was enacted on December 20, 2018. The Farm Bill continues its strong support for conservation efforts of America’s farmers and ranchers through reauthorization and expanded flexibility of NRCS conservation programs.
Learn MoreContact your local service center to start your application.
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.