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Connecticut Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP
Apply by: February 28 - March 1, 2025

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.

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

  • Improved water and air quality;
  • Conserved ground and surface water;
  • Increased soil health ;
  • Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
  • Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
  • Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

How It Works

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.

Benefits

Some of these benefits include:

  • Reduced contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
  • Efficient use of nutrients, reducing input costs and reduction in nonpoint source pollution.
  • Improved soil health, which mitigates against increasing weather volatility, improves drought resiliency.
  • Implementation of practices that improve carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while building resilient landscapes.

Conservation at Work Videos

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.

EQIP Initiatives

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.

Technical Assistance

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.

How To Get Started

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.

  • Find application ranking dates for your state.
  • See payment schedules for your state.
  • See application.

To learn more about EQIP, contact your local NRCS office.

Fact Sheets

EQIP Factsheet 2025 (190.11 KB)

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.

EQIP in Connecticut

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.

Connecticut Priorities

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. 

Accepting Applications

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.

Eligibility

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.

  • Applicants must:  

                   - 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

  • The land being offered into the program must be agricultural land, non-industrial private forest land, or other land on which agricultural products, livestock, or forest-related products are produced.
  • Applications for financial assistance must also be supported by a current conservation plan or a complete farm assessment which documents land and practice eligibility.
  • Applicants should contact their NRCS Service Center to make an appointment for conservation planning assistance.
  • Additional restrictions and program requirements may apply. 

Participant Responsibilities

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.

Decision Making Process for EQIP

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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EQIP Payment Rates

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 

  • $15,000 on all land uses and for all types of Access Road when the contract participant has not self-certified as Historically Underserved (HU).
  • $18,000 on all land uses and for all types of Access Road when the contract participant has self-certified as any of the HU participant types and thereby qualifies for 90% payment rates. (Beginning Farmer, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource and Veteran Farmer – who also qualify as BF or SD). 

A waiver to this policy is available and may only be approved by the State Conservationist or their delegee.

Connecticut Sub-Accounts, Batching Dates, and Ranking Documents

National Initiatives:

EQIP Organic Initiative

 

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 IRA Climate-Smart Ag & Forestry – coming soon
  • EQIP IRA Climate-Smart Ag & Forestry – HU – coming soon
  • EQIP IRA Conservation Incentives Contracts (CIC) 

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 

  • Cropland: 
  • Field sediment, nutrient, and pathogen loss
  • Soil quality limitations
  • Weather resilience. 
  • Pasture
  • Field sediment, nutrient, and pathogen loss
  • Livestock production limitation
  • Soil quality limitations
  • Forest land
  • Degraded plant condition
  • Pest pressure
  • Terrestrial habitat 

EQIP General Ranking Pools and Ranking Questions 

  • EQIP Statewide General – includes subcategories for cropland, pasture, forest and livestock waste
  • EQIP Historically Underserved – includes subcategories for Beginning Farmers, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Veteran Farmers
  • EQIP Initiatives – includes subcategories for On-Farm Energy, Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative, and Urban Initiatives
  • EQIP Organic 
  • EQIP Organic Transition Initiative create CT website for Organic and Organic transition initiative
  • EQIP National Water Quality Initiative – includes subcategories for Broad Brook, Farm River and Little River watersheds 

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: 

  • EQIP-IRA ACT NOW – Threshold: ##    

      Includes the following practices: 

*Some practice scenarios may not be available in IRA 

  • EQIP ACT NOW – Threshold: ##    

            Includes the following practices: 

  • All Conservation Planning Activities (CPA) ±
  • All Design and Implementation Activities (DIA) ±
  • All Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMA) ±
  • 325 - High Tunnel System
  • 821 - Low Tunnel 
  • 812 - Raised Beds 

± See more information about NRCS CPAs, DIAs, and CEMAs 

Additional Information

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)

Find More Information on

 

Additional Information

Ready to get started?

Contact your local service center to start your application.

Find Your Local Service Center

USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.

How to Get Assistance

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.

how to get started

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:

  • To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
  • To meet other eligibility certifications.

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:

  • An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
  • A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
  • A farm number.

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.