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, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against increasing weather volatility.
How It Works
This voluntary conservation program helps producers make conservation work for them. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations. Through EQIP, you can voluntarily implement conservation practices and NRCS co-invests in these practices with you.
Benefits
Some of these benefits include:
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- Reduction of contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
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- Efficient utilization of nutrients, reducing input costs and reduction in nonpoint source pollution.
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- Increased soil health to help mitigate against increasing weather volatility and improved drought resiliency.
2018 Farm Bill EQIP Updates
Historically underserved (HU) participants are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting through EQIP. HU participants may elect to receive an advance of not less than 50 percent of the EQIP conservation practice payment amount. If the participant elects to receive the advance payment, the funds must be expended within 90 days of receiving the advance.
The 2018 Farm Bill expanded eligibility regarding with whom NRCS can enter into an EQIP contract. NRCS may enter into EQIP contracts with water management entities when they are supporting a water conservation or irrigation efficiency project. These entities are defined as State, irrigation district, groundwater management district, acequia, land grant-merced, or similar entity.
The 2018 Farm Bill requires a national 10 percent of mandatory program funding to be targeted towards source water protection. States will identify priority source water protection areas (SWPA) and may offer increased incentives and higher payment rates for practices that address water quality and/or water quantity.
Beginning in 2020, States may provide increased payment rates for high-priority practices. In consultations with the State Technical Committee, State Conservationists may designate up to 10 practices to be eligible for increased payments. Eligible high-priority practices include those that address specific causes of ground or surface water impairment relating to excessive nutrients, address the conservation of water to advance drought mitigation and declining aquifers, meets other environmental priorities and other priority resource concerns identified in habitat or other area restoration plans, or is geographically targeted to address a natural resource concern in a specific watershed.
EQIP Reapplication of Destroyed Practices
While not designed to be an emergency response program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can play a vital role in assisting producers recover from natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, wildfires and drought. Through EQIP, NRCS provides financial assistance to repair and prevent the excessive soil erosion caused or impacted by natural disasters.
If the practices are part of an active EQIP contract, producers can request a modification to their existing contract. If the practices were installed on an EQIP contract that has been completed and now expired, producers can sign up through their local field office for the reapplication of destroyed practices with a new EQIP application. Early start waivers may be approved at the discretion of the state conservationist.
EMERGENCY EQIP FUNDING CYLCE - NRCS is accepting applications for its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to assist agricultural producers impacted by fire. NRCS accepts conservation program applications year-round; however, applications must be submitted by July 16th, 2021 to be considered for this funding effort.
For more information on NRCS Disaster Assistance, visit the Arizona NRCS Disaster Assistance page.
EQIP Conservation Incentive Contracts
Conservation Incentive Contracts are a new component of EQIP authorized through the most recent Farm Bill to address high-priority conservation and natural resources concerns, such as drought and wildfire suppression.
Although similar to the classic EQIP, where producers install conservation practices to address an identified resource concern, this new component also includes a stewardship requirement to build on existing conservation efforts.
While Conservation Incentive Contracts are available in select states in fiscal year 2021, NRCS will roll the program out nationwide in fiscal year 2022, using this pilot to refine implementation of this new option.
Improving Watershed Health to Address Drought
NRCS in Arizona will focus funding on watershed health and resilience to drought in Arizona’s snow catchment areas. This will restore and maintain the forest’s capacity to protect and store water, and improve water quantity and water quality for rural and urban water users downstream.
FY2021 EQIP Conservation Incentive Contract Resources
Arizona News Release: USDA to Invest $41.8 Million in Conservation Assistance for Producers in Drought-Impacted States
FY2021 Arizona EQIP Conservation Incentive Contract Priority Areas Map (pdf)
FY2021 Arizona EQIP Conservation Incentive Contract Payment Schedule
FY2022 EQIP Resources
FY2022 Arizona EQIP Payment Schedule
FY2022 Arizona Ranking Questions
FY2022 EQIP Deadlines
The FY2022 application deadlines for EQIP is December 17th, however, applications are accepted on a continuous basis.
Applications submitted by the funding cycle deadline will be evaluated to be considered for funding in that funding cycle. Applications received after that date will be accepted and evaluated for future rounds of funding.
How To Get Started
To learn more about EQIP, contact your local NRCS office. An NRCS conservationist will visit you and evaluate the natural resources on your land. NRCS will then present a variety of conservation practices or system alternatives to help you address those concerns or management goals to improve or protect the natural resource conditions on your land. Please visit the Apply for EQIP page for more information on to how apply.
You can visit the 2018 Farm Bill Programs page for more information about other NRCS conservation opportunities.
To learn how to get started with NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted
To apply for EQIP, contact your local service center.
