Producers may use incentive contracts as a “steppingstone” from correcting resource issues on specific land units through EQIP to achieving sustainable stewardship on their entire operation. Conservation Incentive Contracts are available nationwide and help producers address priority resource concerns, like sequestering carbon and improving water quality in high-priority areas. Incentive contracts now offers new conservation evaluation and monitoring activities (CEMA) to help report outcomes of practices.

Details

• Require producers to address at least one priority resource concern during the contract period.
• Have an initial length of five years.
• Have a payment limitation of $200,000 for the life of the 2018 Farm Bill which expires in 2023.
• Offers two types of payments: 
  • Implementation payments, which are paid after certification of practice. 
  • Annual payments, which include management practices that will serve as annual payments and are paid as soon as practicable, after October 1 of each fiscal year.
• NRCS offers higher payment rates and advance payments to historically underserved (HU) producers who implement conservation practices in an EQIP Conservation Incentive Contract. HU producers include Beginning Farmers, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, Limited Resource Farmers, and Veterans.

Who Is Eligible? 

Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who own or lease agricultural land may be eligible. EQIP assistance can be used on many types of operations, including, but not limited to: 

• Conventional and organic
• Specialty crops and commodity crops
• Forestry and wildlife
• Livestock operations