NRCS Wisconsin Encourages Producers with High-Priority Projects to ACT NOW

MADISON, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced it will be utilizing the Act Now authority, which offers additional flexibilities for eligible Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applicants enrolled in the following fund pools: Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), and Socially Disadvantaged (SD).

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to address natural resource concerns and to deliver environmental benefits, such as improved water and air quality, conserve ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved soil health and plant condition, and improved or created wildlife habitat.

Through Act Now, NRCS Wisconsin can now pre-approve applications in identified fund pools when they meet or exceed the pre-determined minimum ranking score and meet the planning requirements as defined within each project. This allows producers to start conservation projects earlier instead of waiting long periods to know if a project will be funded.

“Under the Act Now authority, eligible applicants receive automatic approval to proceed in the process, eliminating the need to wait for all applications to be ranked and preapproved within a given timeframe,” said NRCS Wisconsin State Conservationist, Nathan Fikkert, adding that this authority allows for applications to have a much shorter turnaround time, with contracts developed in just a few weeks. 

Producers do not apply separately to Act Now and will be considered for priority funding when applying to an eligible practice. Program applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, to be considered during the Fiscal Year 25 Act Now funding cycle applications must be submitted by May 16, 2025. NRCS Wisconsin will begin funding eligible applications after January 1, 2025, and will continue making funding decisions monthly as funds are available. 

Applications are ranked and scored according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide, and the needs of applicants. When the available funding limit through Act Now has been reached, remaining application will be considered in other relevant ranking pools or rolled over to the next funding cycle.

For more information, potential applicants with eligible land(s) and producers with applications currently on file are encouraged to “act now” by contacting your local USDA Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center.

For more information on EQIP or other NRCS programs, please visit the NRCS Wisconsin website at  www.nrcs.usda.gov/wi.

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