The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, and improved or created wildlife habitat.
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. NRCS provides assistance to producers through partnership agreements and RCPP conservation program contracts.
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) offer matching-funds to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative approaches and technologies for conservation on agricultural lands.
The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program safeguards lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed whenever fire, flood or any other natural occurrence is causing or has caused a sudden impairment of the watershed.
Conservation Reserve Program - Administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency with technical assistance from NRCS, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides long-term rental agreements to remove highly-erodible or environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production.
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program - Provides funding to help state and tribal governments encourage landowners to allow public access to their land for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation.