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.
Accepting Applications
Fiscal Year 2019 EQIP Deadlines
Applications submitted by November 16, 2018 will be evaluated to be considered for funding in fiscal year 2019. Applications received after that date will be accepted and evaluated for future rounds of funding in subsequent batching periods that will be announced at a later date.
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
To learn how to get started with NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted
To apply for EQIP, contact your local service center.
Click here for current EQIP application and appendix.
Eligibility
Agricultural producers and owners of non-industrial private forestland and Tribes are eligible to apply for EQIP. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, non-industrial private forestland and other farm or ranch lands.
Applicants must:
- Control or own eligible land
- Comply with adjusted gross income limitation (AGI) provisions
- Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements
- Develop an NRCS EQIP plan of 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.
Starting Practices Included in the Conservation Program Contract (CPC):
Practices started or completed before CPC approval are not eligible for payments, in accordance with the applicable program regulation and the CPC appendix. Starting a practice or engaging the services of a technical service provider before the contract is approved by NRCS renders an applicant ineligible for payment. A waiver for starting financially assisted practices may be granted by the STC. Requests for a waiver to this provision must be made in writing. Waivers may be considered in special cases and for meritorious reasons for applications that meet all eligibility requirements.
Socially Disadvantaged, Beginning, and Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers, Military Veteran Farmers
The 2014 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. Enhancements include increased payment rates and advance payments of up to 50 percent to purchase materials and services needed to implement conservation practices included in their EQIP contract.
Nevada is committed to reaching out to Historically Underserved individuals and groups. Historically Underserved participants may also receive higher payment rates in addition to being considered in high priority funding pools.
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, Nevada has identified the following priorities:
-
Water Quantity— inefficient use of irrigation water
-
Water Quality— elevated water temperature; excessive sediments and nutrients in ground and surface water
-
Plant Condition—undesirable plant productivity and health, wildfire hazard
-
Soil Condition— wind erosion, organic matter depletion
-
Habitat Conservation— inadequate habitat for sage grouse and SW Willow flycatcher
-
Energy Conservation – inefficient energy use
-
Domestic Animals— inadequate feed and forage and water for livestock
Decision Making Process for EQIP
Input from Outside Groups, Agencies, and Citizens: The list of eligible practices in Nevada, 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 agribusinesses, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.
The Local Work Group process and scoring criteria, are based on input from the counties in the Local Work Groups (LWG).
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.
Nevada's EQIP Funding Pools and Ranking Documents
The primary focus of the General EQIP funding pool is to address soil erosion and water quality resource concerns on cropland and adjacent incidental areas. The funding is managed on a statewide basis. Applicants within the state compete for funds within their local workgroup areas. Each workgroup area has an irrigated and non-irrigated funding pool.
The following are Nevada's funding pools
-
Beginning Farmer and Rancher: The primary focus of this funding pool is to assist beginning farmers and ranchers address resource concerns on their operations.
-
Socially Disadvantaged Producer: The primary focus of this funding pool is to assist socially disadvantaged producers address resource concerns on their operations.
-
Wildlife Habitat Conservation: A priority of EQIP is for the promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation. The Wildlife Habitat Conservation funding pool is available to Illinois producers who will restore, develop, or enhance wildlife habitat.
-
Conservation Activity Plan (CAP): EQIP funding is available for the development of a Conservation Activity Plan (CAP). A CAP can be developed for producers to identify conservation practices needed to address a specific natural resource need. Typically, these plans are specific to certain kinds of land use such as transitioning to organic operations, grazing land, forest land, or can also address a specific resource need such a plan for management of nutrients. Click here for link to national CAP website.
-
National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI): NWQI helps producers implement conservation systems to reduce nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment and pathogen contributions from agricultural land in selected watersheds.
-
Organic Initiative: The Organic Initiative provides financial assistance to help implement conservation practices for organic producers or those transitioning to organic. The Initiative addresses natural resource concerns and also helps growers meet requirements related to National Organic Program (NOP) requirements
-
On-Farm Energy: The On-Farm Energy Initiative enables the producer to identify ways to conserve energy on the farm through two types of Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMP) for headquarters and/or for landscape, also known as an on-farm energy audit (headquarters and/or landscape); and by providing financial and technical assistance to help the producer implement various measures and practices recommended in these on-farm energy audits.
Statewide Funding Pools
State Ranking Tools
Practices and Payment Rates
For more information, contact your local NRCS Service Center.
We would be pleased to provide information on this Web site in an alternative format, if needed. Please contact Jonnie Eyler, Webmaster, at (775) 857-8500 ext. 100.
If you experience problems with this Web site, we would appreciate hearing from you.
