FY’25 EQIP Classic batching deadline announced

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) announced Oct. 22, 2024, as the application deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Classic for Fiscal Year 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making more than $3 billion in funding available for agricultural producers and forest landowners nationwide to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices in fiscal year 2025. 

EQIP is a voluntary, technical, and financial assistance program designed to help farmers, ranchers, forestland owners, and Tribes with the application of conservation measures. The program focuses strongly on conservation planning, conservation implementation, and solving natural resource concerns, including, but not limited to the following: 

• Forestland health improvements 
• Irrigation efficiency 
• Nutrient run-off and/or animal waste management 
• Improving native plant community health 
• Removing manmade instream obstructions for fish passage 
• Reducing soil loss from wind or rain 
• Wildlife habitat and Fish passage issues

Inflation Reduction Act funding is implemented through existing NRCS programs including EQIP. NRCS saw record producer interest in these resources in fiscal year 2024. The agency is accepting applications from producers interested in this conservation assistance for fiscal year 2025. See the NRCS Washington EQIP webpage for more information about the program and initiatives that meet Tribal and locally-developed conservation priorities. 

The Inflation Reduction Act and Farm Bill funds provide direct climate mitigation benefits, advance a host of other environmental co-benefits, and expand access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation for Tribes, urban agriculture, farms, ranch or forest land. This includes popular, common-sense practices like crop rotation, conservation tillage, habitat restoration, prescribed grazing, forest management to mitigate wildfire risk, energy conservation, and more. Ultimately, this will lead to economic opportunity for operations small to large, improved reach to communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment, more productive soil, cleaner water and air, healthier wildlife habitat and natural resource conservation for future generations. 

Over fiscal year 2024, NRCS in Washington worked with Tribes and private landowners to obligate a record conservation investment. The total amount of funding obligated to EQIP contracts was more than $51 million in combined Farm Bill and IRA funding. 

The current anticipated portion of this Inflation Reduction Act funding for Washington is $24.2 million for EQIP. This is in addition to the current anticipated allocation of Farm Bill funding for Washington of $25.3 million for EQIP. 

How to Apply 
NRCS accepts applications for its conservation programs year-round, but Washington producers interested in this cycle of conservation funding must first submit their EQIP Application to their local service center by Oct. 22, 2024, and then submit all of the following eligibility determinations to FSA by Jan. 17, 2025:

• Highly Erodible Lands and Wetland Determination (AD 1026) 
• Adjusted Gross Income Form (CCC 941) 
• Farm and Track Eligibility determination 
• Farm Operating Plan (CCC 902) 

NRCS will also consider previously unfunded applications in this round.  For more information on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Classic in Washington, click here.

To learn how to get started with NRCS, click here, or visit your local USDA service center. To learn how to sign up for free email and text alerts about the latest NRCS program and national funding opportunities, click here.