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Washington's
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Updated
05/17/2007
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a
voluntary conservation program from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), re-authorized in the
2002 Farm Bill. The program supports production agriculture and
environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers may receive
financial and technical help with structural and management conservation
practices on agricultural land.
NRCS administers EQIP based on locally identified natural resource needs
consistent with national EQIP priorities. Local Work Groups (LWG) convened by
the Conservation Districts provide advice to NRCS about local
priorities within their local area. With this advice, NRCS evaluates
applications for funding EQIP contracts consistent with these local, state and national
priorities.
EQIP offers contracts with a minimum term that ends one year after the
implementation of the last scheduled practices and a maximum term of ten years.
These contracts provide incentive payments and cost-shares to implement selected
conservation practices. Persons who are engaged in livestock or agricultural
production on eligible land may participate in the EQIP program. EQIP activities
are carried out according to a conservation plan developed in conjunction with
the producer that identifies the appropriate conservation practice or practices
to address the resource concerns. The practices are subject to NRCS technical
standards adapted for local conditions.
Goals and Objectives
Washington State's goals and objectives of the
Environmental Quality Incentive Program are to assist eligible applicants in
complying with Federal, State, local and tribal environmental regulations in an
environmentally safe and cost effective manner through a locally led process.
The Environmental Quality Incentive Program is administered
by NRCS in Washington through consultation with the
State Technical Committee and multi-county local work groups. Through
the use of the State Technical Committee and Local Work Groups priority resource
concerns have been identified.
-
Surface
water quality concerns such as temperature and/or agricultural pollutants
-
Soil erosion
-
Threatened and Endangered Species, mainly aquatic
-
Air Quality, (Odor and PM10)
-
Water
quantity
-
Livestock
distribution
The most commonly
used conservation practices utilized to meet Washington State's goals and
objectives:
-
Animal
Waste Storage Facilities
-
Irrigation
Conversion from furrow irrigation to more efficient irrigation systems
-
Practices
and Components of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan
-
Nutrient
Management
-
Residue
Management such as No-Till or Direct Seeding
-
Conservation Buffers
-
Pest
Management
-
Prescribed
Grazing
Application Process
The application process is a continuous process.
Eligible applicants may apply for EQIP, utilizing NRCS-CPA-1200 application form
and appendix, at any USDA Service Center
by phone, email, fax, or letter.
APPLICATION Signature Requirements PRIOR TO THE
EVALUATION CUTOFF DATE
At least one participant is required to sign
and date the NRCS-CPA-1200 and review the NRCS-CPA-1200
Appendix. Applicant must provide evidence of control of land for life
span of the contract.
CONTRACT Signature Requirements
The NRCS-CPA-1202 must be signed by:
1.
Participant (s) receiving cost-share or incentive payments
2.
Owner of the land if either of the following apply:
The
participant cannot provide evidence of control of land for the contract
period, or A
structural practice will be implemented
3. All participants must also sign the NRCS-CPA 1202 appendix
Application Ranking and
Selection
This process generally occurs between October 1 and November 17. Annually, NRCS establishes a cutoff date for applications to be
evaluated and ranked for current year funding. The evaluation cutoff date
for Fiscal Year 2007 is November 17, 2006. Any applications received after
November 17, 2006 will be held for evaluation for Fiscal Year 2008 funding.
Once an application is received by NRCS:
1. NRCS will contact the applicant to conduct an evaluation and ranking of
the application.
2. The application will be ranked against all of the other applications
within the local work group area or tribal area.
3. After the cutoff date, NRCS will notify the applicant in writing of
selection, deferment, or cancellation of the EQIP application.
4. If selected for funding, the contract development process will be
initiated.
Eligible Practices and Costs
Each Local Work Group was given the opportunity to identify
which of the practices in the
Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) would be eligible for cost-share within their local
Work Group. In addition, each LWG was given the opportunity to:
Each Local Work Group has determined eligible practices and
has developed a cost list that identifies associated practice components, cost
share rates, and unit costs.
View Local Work Group EQIP Packets
Ranking Criteria
Eligible Practices and Hold-downs
Practice
Cost List
Ranking Criteria
The ranking criteria for Washington State was developed in
consultation with the State Technical Committee based on National, state and
local priorities and priority resource concerns. The LWG submitted their ranking
process to the State Technical Committee for their concurrence.
The ranking criteria for Tribal applications was developed
in consultation with Tribes through the NRCS Tribal Liaisons. A single
ranking tool is used to evaluate all tribal applications in the
state.
All ranking will be accomplished using the ProTracts ranking tool.
View
NRCS Team, Wildfire and Tribal Ranking Criteria
Applicant selected for funding are not authorized to begin the
installation of a conservation practice until they have a NRCS-CPA-1202, Conservation Program Contract, signed by the NRCS
Contracting Officer.
- This process normally occurs from December 1 through May 15.
- Applicants selected for funding will have a conservation
plan and EQIP contract developed by NRCS.
- EQIP contracts will include all practices necessary to
address the resource concerns identified in the application ranking.
- Contracts are effective the date they are signed by the NRCS Contracting Officer and expire 1 year after the date of
the installation of the last scheduled practice.
Contract Implementation
Implementation occurs after the NRCS Designated
Conservationist signs the NRCS-CPA-1202. Participants have the option of
obtaining technical assistance from either NRCS or a certified
Technical Service Provider (TSP) to design,
install, inspect and certify conservation practices scheduled in their EQIP
contract.
Funding Distribution
The distribution of EQIP financial assistance funds in
Washington State will be accomplished by using funding pools (10
Local Work Groups, 1 Tribal and 1 Wildfire). Washington State is divided into 10
multi-county Local Work Groups. The allocation to each local work
group was determined by the conservation needs in each Local Work Group,
national and state priorities and the time required to address the Local Work
Groups conservation needs as well as national and state priorities. In
addition, there is a statewide pool for applications on tribal lands and for wildfires that occurred during 2006.
 PDF files require
Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click to download a copy.
An EQIP Brochure for Washington's
Agricultural Producers
Contact
Dave Brown,
Assistant State
Conservationist (Programs)
(509) 323-2971; Alt Phone: (509)
323-2900
E-mail: David.Brown@wa.usda.gov
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