Environmental Quality Incentives Program

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, agricultural producers receive financial and technical assistance to implement structural and management conservation practices that optimize environmental benefits on working agricultural land.

2021 EQIP FUNDING BY:

• Funding Pools
• Targeted Conservation Project
• Resource Team
   

Accepting Applications

EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, NRCS establishes application "cut-off" or submission deadline dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers and submitted applications may be considered or evaluated in multiple funding pool opportunities. The following document describes how to apply for Farm Bill programs or visit the following website: Get started with NRCS national page.

Learn how to Get Started with NRCS

To apply for EQIP, contact your local service center.

CPA-1200 NRCS Conservation Program Application

Eligibility

Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who own or rent agricultural land are eligible.  EQIP assistance can be used on all types of agricultural operations, including:

• Conventional and organic
• Specialty crops and commodity crops
• Forestry
• Wildlife
• Historically underserved producers
• Livestock operations

Participant Responsibilities

Applicants are responsible for completing and filing all application and eligibility paperwork as required. If funded, participants are required to sign a contract and agree to implement the planned conservation practices to NRCS standards and specifications as scheduled.

Socially Disadvantaged, Beginning, and Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers, Military Veteran Farmers

The 2018 Farm Bill continues to address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers, and veteran farmers. It provides for voluntary participation, offers incentives, and focuses on equity in accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and services.

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, ground water management district, acequia, land grant-merced, or similar entity.

The 2018 Farm Bill requires a national 10 percent of mandatory program funding be targeted towards source water protection.  States will identify priority source water protection areas 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.

National and State Priorities

The following national priorities, consistent with statutory resources concerns that include soil, water, wildlife, air quality, and related natural resource concerns, may be used in EQIP implementation:

• Reductions of nonpoint source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with total maximum daily loads (TMDL) where available; the reduction of surface and groundwater contamination; and the reduction of contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
• Conservation of ground and surface water resources.
• Reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land.
• Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation including development and improvement of wildlife habitat.
• Energy conservation to help save fuel, improve efficiency of water use, maintain production, and protect soil and water resources by more efficiently using fertilizers and pesticides, and
• Biological carbon storage and sequestration.

In addition, Colorado has identified the following priorities:

• Water Quality and Quantity: irrigation systems, water control structures and irrigation water management
• Grazing management: fencing, stockwater systems, range and pasture planting
• Nutrient management: manure storage structures, planned nutrient applications, soil testing
• Soil Health: conservation crop rotation, cover crops and conservation tillage
• Wildlife habitat enhancement: buffer practices, upland wildlife habitat establishment
• Forest Health: forest timber removal and woody residue treatment

Decision Making Process for EQIP

Input from Outside Groups, Agencies, and Citizens: The list of eligible practices in Colorado, payment rates and limits, eligible resource concerns, and state scoring criteria are developed based on input and recommendations from the State Technical Committee (STC). The STC is made up of representatives from various agribusiness, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.

The priorities set at the state and county level are those that the STC and LWG respectively determined were of the greatest need and would have the greatest positive environmental impact. The scoring process at both the state and local level was developed in order to select those projects that would provide the greatest environmental benefit, and therefore provide the greatest public good.

Fiscal Year 2021 EQIP Deadlines

Visit your local USDA Service Center to apply, or visit Get Started with NRCS.  

Colorado EQIP Funding Pools, Screening and Ranking Information

General EQIP​ Screening

FY-21 Ranking Information

TARGETED CONSERVATION PROJECTS

See 2016-2020 Projects Story Map Here

 2021 RESOURCE TEAMS

FY-21 Payment Schedule

FY-21 West Slope Payment Schedule

FY-21 Initiative Payment Schedule

The list of eligible practices and rates are provided in the 2021 Payment Schedule. The Payment Schedule identifies practice payment limits that may apply and conditions where the practices may apply.  Contact your local service center for assistance in determining which payment rate would apply to individual projects.

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