Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
 

Program Overview

The Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program that provides assistance to farmers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Through EQIP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides assistance to agricultural producers in a manner that will promote agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals, optimize environmental benefits, and help farmers to meet Federal, State, Tribal, and local environmental requirements. EQIP offers financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. Additional national information can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip.

EQIP is a competitive process. EQIP applications compete for funding on a state-wide basis. A ranking process is conducted to determine which applications will be granted EQIP funding. The Illinois NRCS has several different EQIP ranking criteria categories that were developed with input from the Illinois State Technical Committee. All ranking criteria categories achieve the common EQIP objective of optimizing environmental benefits.

Historically Underserved
NRCS Illinois continues to provide technical and financial assistance to all eligible participants including our Historically Underserved Producers (HUP). EQIP will serve farmers and ranchers who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudices because of their identity as a member of a group, without regard to their individual qualities. For more information about Historically Underserved Producers, please review the HUP Factsheet.

List of 2011 Priority Resource Concerns/Considerations:

• Air Quality
• Domestic Animals
• Fish & Wildlife
• Plant Condition
• Soil Condition
• Soil Erosion
• Water Quality
• Water Quantity

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative Deadline is March 4, 2011

Offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the third year, the EQIP Organic Initiative is available in all 50 states for farmers who are certified organic, transitioning to certified organic, or organic exempt according to USDA’s National Organic Program regulations. The national ranking deadline for sign-ups is March 4, 2011. Applications received after this date will be ranked in the next funding group.

Experimenting with cover crops and crop rotations, installing intensive grazing infrastructure (grazing plans, internal fencing, walkways, water lines), establishing wildlife and pollinator friendly habitat, and installing seasonal high tunnels are examples of conservation practices for which funding may be available under this program. In addition, states offer Conservation Activity Plans that support conservation planning for organic agriculture.

Contact your local NRCS office soon to meet with your conservation planning professional and determine which practices could enhance your farming operation.
 

More on Organic Operations and EQIP

Steps to the EQIP Application Process for the 2011 Fiscal Year:

Prior to EQIP Sign Up:
Conservation planning completed prior to application ranking allows the ranking process to move more quickly, because the applicant, with help from NRCS, will already have identified the conservation needs and concerns. Conservation plans completed prior to ranking that address all the resource concerns on the farm can yield more points within an application. Planning prior to applying for EQIP also helps ensure the applicant is requesting EQIP funds for the correct practices.

Step 1: Signing up for EQIP at Your Local NRCS Field Office:
EQIP has a continuous sign-up process; applicants can sign up anytime of the year at their local NRCS field office. To sign up for EQIP, applicants must complete the NRCS-CPA-1200 form at their local field office. At the time of application, the applicant will also be provided with a copy of the NRCS-CPA-1202 Contract Appendix, explaining EQIP contract terms and conditions. Reviewing the contract appendix up front helps the applicant know the contract terms and conditions.

All applicants need to meet eligibility requirements in order to apply for EQIP. To ensure you are eligible for EQIP go to “What Documentation is Needed to be Eligible for EQIP?”.

Step 2: FY 2011 Illinois EQIP Ranking Criteria:
Illinois uses a web-based ranking criteria tool for ranking applications, which will be completed by your local NRCS field office. The web-based ranking tool includes the following:

• Yes/No questions for each ranking category;
• State and National ranking questions; and
• A Cost Efficiency Score, which is a benefit-cost calculation of the EQIP application.

The ranking questions that are used in the web based ranking tool can be downloaded below. Refer to the NRCS Area Map below to locate your county, then select the appropriate Area Ranking Tool.

The following documents require either Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher, and Microsoft WORD

Step 3: Practices Available for EQIP Funds:
Practices available for EQIP funds can be found in the “EQIP Conservation Practices and Payment Method” lists within each of the ranking criteria and in the FY2011 EQIP Payment list found in Ranking Criteria-Supporting Documents EQIP 2011.

FY 2011 EQIP Practices for Ranking Criteria

Practices selected for the EQIP application must address the resource concerns identified by the applicant with assistance from the NRCS field office. EQIP applications must include all planned practices that contributed to the ranking score. All practices must meet NRCS standards and specifications, which can be found in section IV of the Illinois eFOTG. Additional practice(s) may be included in the EQIP contract without receiving ranking points as long as the practice(s) address one or more of the resource concerns identified, are listed in the current Illinois eFOTG, and approved by NRCS Area Assistant State Conservationists.

When completing the application process, the field office will explain the payment rate that the applicant will receive for each practice. The applicant will then need to decide if they want to proceed with an EQIP contract, if funded.

Step 4: Funding EQIP Applications:
All applications for EQIP will compete on a state-wide basis, within each of the ranking criteria categories. Applying for EQIP is continuous; however, selecting applications for funding is done periodically through batching periods with specific cutoff dates. Applicants should visit your local field office as soon as possible to begin the application process.

In order for an application to be considered for funding during a particular batching period the applicant must have the following items completed by the batching period cutoff date:

• Completed and signed EQIP application (NRCS-CPA-1200)
• Eligibility requirements
• Completed and signed ranking criteria
• List of practices that address the resource concerns identified
• Schedule for implementation of the practices selected
• Adjusted Gross Income form

Applications for EQIP will be taken continuously, however; batching periods will be announced to process applications. The cutoff dates for the Fiscal Year 2011 batching periods will be as follows:

• January 7, 2011 is the next cutoff date for EQIP batching period.
• Cutoff dates for later batching periods will be established if funding is available.

Archived EQIP Information: earlier EQIP information can be obtained by Eric Gerth at Eric.Gerth@il.usda.gov



Contact Information:

For help with the EQIP program in Illinois contact your local NRCS office.

Download Forms and Factsheets

Update 4/4/2011