Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
EQIP is a program that provides assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats related to the protection of the environment. Agriculture producers receive assistance if they promote agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals along with optimizing environmental benefits. Types of issues addressed to meet Federal, state, tribal and local environmental requirements are those of soil, water, air and related natural resources on the land.
The basis for EQIP is along these four (4) national priorities:
- Reduction of non-point source pollution in impaired watersheds, reduction of groundwater contamination and conservation of group and surface water resources
- Reduction of particulate matter emissions such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ozone precursors or depleters
- Reduce soil erosion and unacceptable levels of sedimentation on agricultural land
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Promote habitat conservation of at-risk species
EQIP is available in every state and territory for those producers who engage in crop or livestock production on eligible lands. The program is implemented upon the identification of state and local priority resource concerns. Contracts are offered at a maximum of 10 years and a minimum that ends one year after the practices have been implemented.
QUOTES:
"Thanks to EQIP, we do side-by-side tests and grid soil samples," explains Dennis Friest, a Radcliffe, IA, corn and soybean farmer. "It helps us to be better environmentalists and to do the things we need to do to succeed."
John Pocock - The Corn and Soybean Digest - Not Your Daddy's NRCS - November 1, 2005
Fast Facts:
- Cost-share rates for contracts can receive up to 75 percent of the costs of certain conservation practices
- A limitation of $450,000 is placed on all cost-share and incentive payment contracts for an individual landowner
Contracts have increased by 250 percent since the last farm bill:
2002: 19,817 contracts
2003: 30,251 contracts
2004: 46,413 contracts
2005: 49,406 contracts
Timeline:
1996 - Establishment of EQIP within the Federal Farm Bill
1997 - First authorization of EQIP assistance
2002 - Reauthorization of EQIP with a budget of $6.1 million over the next 6 years
2005 - USDA has entered into 145,887 total EQIP contracts
