Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Washington

Updated 02/28/2013

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),  as re-authorized in the 2008 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.

Sign-up for EQIP is open on a continuous basis, with periodic ranking and finding of eligible applications on file.
Application ranking cut-off date for FY 2010 EQIP was August 14, 2009.
Additional ranking dates may be offered in FY2010.

2010 EQIP Implementation in Washington State
	Application Process Application Ranking and Selection Conservation Plan and Contract Development Contract Implementation Eligible Practices Funding Distribution Goals and Objectives Payment Schedule

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.

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NRCS-CPA-1200 Application and Appendix  (PDF; 42 KB)   OMB 0578-0013 expiration 5/31/2012

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 2010 is August 14, 2009.  Any applications received after August 14, 2009 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.

        View NRCS Local Work Group, Organic Initiative 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
  

Payment Schedule

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.

 

Conservation Plan and Contract Development

• This process will occur from August 2009 through March2010.
• Applicants selected for funding work with thier local NRCS office to develop a conservation plan and EQIP contract.
• 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 allocating funds to (10 Local Work Groups, 1 Tribal Work Group).  The allocation to each Work Group was determined by the conservation needs in each Local or Tribal 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.  Additionally, the NRCS has allocated funds in FY2010 for the EQIP Organic Initiative, the Wildfire Special Initiative and the CRP Special Initiative.
 

News Releases

USDA to launch high tunnel pilot study to increase availability of locally grown foods  December 17,2009
Producers urged to carefully consider CRP break-out options Financial, technical assistance available to protect land  December 7, 2009
Deadline for 2010 conservation financial assistance looms NRCS sets Dec. 31 as ranking cut-off date   November 23, 2009
Se acerca la última fecha para recibir asistencia financiera NRCS fija 31 de Diciembre como ultima fecha para recibir asistencia en el 2010   23 de Noviembre del 2009
 

An EQIP Brochure for Washington's Agricultural Producers