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2008
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Washington
Updated
10/23/2007 Cut off date for applications for FY08 ranking is November 2, 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 maximum term of ten years.
These contracts provide financial assistance payments to implement selected
conservation practices. Eligible applicants who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest
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 participant 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.
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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 (LWG). Through
the use of the State Technical Committee and Local Work Groups priority resource
concerns have been identified.
-
Surface
and ground water quality and quantity concerns associated with non-point source pollutants
-
Reduction in soil erosion and
sedimentation
-
Air quality concerns relating to PM <10 and odors
-
Protection of "at-risk-species" habitat
-
Range and forestland health
-
Carbon sequestration
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 Ranking and
Selection
Annually, NRCS establishes a cutoff date for applications to be
evaluated and ranked for current year funding. The evaluation cutoff date
for Fiscal Year 2008 is November 2, 2007. Any applications received after
November 2, 2007 will be held for evaluation in a future ranking period.
The application ranking criteria for Washington State was developed in
consultation with the 10 Local Work Groups (LWG) and the Tribal Work Group (TWG), based on National, state and
local priorities and priority resource concerns. The same application ranking criteria is used to evaluate all Tribal applications
in the state. All other applications are ranked using the application ranking criteria for the LWG covering that geographic area.
In addition, application ranking criteria was developed for the Wildfire Special Initiative, to assist on private grazing lands that were recently damage by wildfires.
View
NRCS Local Work Group, Wildfire and Tribal
Application Ranking Criteria
Applicants selected for funding are not authorized to begin the installation of a conservation practice until they
have a NRCS-CPS-1202, Conservation Program Contract, signed by the NRCS Contracting Officer.
Eligible Practices
Each Local Work Group and Tribal Work Group developed a list of conservation practices in the
Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) that are needed to treat priority resource concerns identified by the LWG or TWG. These practices will
be eligible for EQIP financial assistance. These practices may be subject to payment hold-down.
View Local Work Group EQIP Eligible Practices
The
EQIP payment schedule includes the conservation practices that are available for financial assistance in Washington State.
Payments will be made at the established payment rate per unit for each component within the practice. A contract may or may not include all components identified for a practice. Payment rates for eligible
applicants who qualify as a Beginning Farmer/Rancher or Limited Resource Producer will be increased by 15%.
Some practices in the payment schedule may not be available in every LWG or Tribal application. Refer to
the specific LWG or Tribal eligible practices list for the practices selected for that location or purpose.
- 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 2007.
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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