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Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Environmental Quality Incentives Program
























The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible National goals. Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers may receive financial and technical help to install or implement structural and management conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. EQIP was reauthorized in the Food, Energy and Conservation Act of 2014 (Farm Bill). The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers EQIP. Funding for EQIP comes from the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Texas Priority Resource Concerns - Fiscal Year 2020

Texas Priority Resource Concerns - Fiscal Year 2019

EQIP applications are accepted continuously. Local application ranking, funding and obligation deadlines will be set per forthcoming zone guidance. Applications for State and National priority area funding pools will be evaluated and funded per the deadlines below.

The timeline for implementation is as follows:

First Round:

  • Application Period Cutoff – March 15, 2019
  • Ranking Cutoff for Eligible Applications – April 26, 2019
  • Applications Selected for Funding – April 29, 2019
  • Deadline for Obligation of Selected Applications – May 20, 2019
  • ⋅National and State Funds swept - May 21, 2019

Second Round:

  • Application Period Cutoff – May 10, 2019
  • Ranking Cutoff for Eligible Applications – June 14, 2019
  • Applications Selected for Funding – June 17, 2019
  • Deadline for Obligation of Selected Applications – July 12, 2019
  • National and State Funds swept – July 15, 2019

Applicants must meet eligibility requirements before an application is set to "Eligible" for ranking. Applications that do not meet the ranking deadline can compete again in the next ranking cut-off.

EQIP General Program Description

National Initiatives

  • National Air Quality Initiative
  • National On-Farm Energy Initiative
  • National Organic Initiative
  • High Tunnel System
  • StrikeForce Initiative (must have had stand-alone sub account in FY 2018)

Landscape Conservation Initiatives

  • Joint Chief's Landscape Restoration Initiative (exiting agreements only")
  • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
  • Honey Bee Pollinator Initiative
  • Long Leaf Pine Initiative
  • Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative
  • National Water Quality Initiative (existing watersheds only)
  • Working Lands for Wildlife (National and State funded accounts, excludes Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative)
  • Monarch Butterfly Habitat Development Project

Other Eligible Activities

  • Disaster Relief Funding (Hurricane, Fire, Drought FY 2017 and 2018)
  • Conservation Activity Plans
  • WaterSmart
  • Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program
  • RCPP-EQIP only if the following criteria have been met:
    • The agreement does ot contain CSP
    • It is an existing agreement from FY 2015, 2016, 2017 (agreements approved but pending execution are not eligible)
    • Existing screening and ranking tools that have been used in previous years are available

For more information

For more information about EQIP, visit the National NRCS EQIP web page or contact your local field office.

Lori Ziehr, Assistant State Conservationist-Programs
Phone:  254-742-9881