Introduction

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary and competitive program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers through contracts up to a maximum term of ten years.  These contracts can provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that improve soil, water, plant, animal, air and related natural resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. EQIP may also help producers meet Federal, State, Tribal, and local environmental regulations.

General EQIP Information

• EQIP Fact Sheet (PDF; 1 MB)
• How to Apply for EQIP
• PIA EQIP Payments and Payment Rates
• Program Eligibility
• Contact your local Service Center or NRCS Office

Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) EQIP Financial Assistance

In the Pacific Islands Area (PIA), EQIP is available in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands.

NRCS accepts EQIP applications year-round, but establishes application cutoff dates to make funding selections for eligible and ranked applications. 

To be ready for EQIP funding consideration, interested applicants will need to: (1) Address an identified resource concern (through a conservation plan), (2) Submit a completed application, (3) Meet program eligibility requirements, and (4) Approve their ‘EQIP Schedule of Operations’. The time needed to complete a conservation plan and process eligibility can vary from a few weeks to more than a month, depending on the complexity of the farming operation.

Please contact your local service center or NRCS office for assistance on the conservation planning process and program eligibility. 

The FY19 cutoff date to consider eligible and ranked applications for funding are:

• December 21, 2018 (Local and PIA Fund Pools; Organic Initiative; Energy Initiative and National Water Quality Initiative, and Feral Swine)
• February 15, 2019 (Two Lined Spittlebug Initiative and Working Lands for Wildlife - Nene Initiative)
• March 1, 2019 (RCPP-EQIP; Other Partner Initiatives)

Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 EQIP Fund Pool Descriptions

Local Fund Pools (Competition is Within the Field Office Authorities)

PIA Fund Pools (Competition is PIA-Wide in Each Fund Pool)

National EQIP Initiatives

Partner Initiatives

Conservation Activity Plans

A Conservation Activity Plan (CAP) can be developed for producers to address a specific natural resource concern on their agricultural operation. Each CAP is developed by a certified Technical Service Provider (TSP), who is selected by the EQIP participant. 

See 2019 Conservation Activity Plans for a list of available CAPs.

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:

1. 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
2. Conservation of ground and surface water resources
3. 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
4. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land
5. Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation including development and improvement of wildlife habitat
6. 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
7. Biological carbon storage and sequestration

PIA identified the following priorities:

1. Grazing management: implementation of a prescribed grazing system and/or access control for streams and riparian areas;
2. Erosion control and soil quality: grade control structures, diversions, water and sediment control basins, stream bank restoration, filter strips, cover crops, sod based crop rotations, conservation tillage;
3. Nutrient management: manure storage structures, planned nutrient applications, soil testing, precision application of nutrients;
4. Wildlife habitat enhancement: enhancing threatened and endangered wildlife habitat;
5. Irrigation quality and quantity, irrigation efficiency, irrigation water management, reservoirs for storage of irrigation water;
6. Pest management: crop and pest monitoring activities, precision application of pesticides and nutrients.

Decision Making Process for EQIP:

Input is solicited from Outside Groups, Agencies, and Citizens to assist with NRCS program decisions.

The list of eligible practices in the PIA, payment rates and limits, eligible natural 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 agribusinesses, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.

The Local Work Group (LWG) are comprised of local stakeholders, organizations, and agencies, etc. within the local field office area. Input is used to determine priority local resource concerns for local ranking and scoring criteria.  

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.

Additional EQIP Information:

• 2014 EQIP Farm Bill Fact Sheet (PDF, 1MB)

Pacific Islands Area (PIA) EQIP Contacts: