Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Last Modified: 05/02/2012

General Program Description

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps farmers and owners of agricultural land, including forest landowners, reduce pollution and improve natural resources. EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to help people plan, install and implement structural, vegetative and management conservation practices on agricultural land and forest land. Financial assistance is provided through practice payments based on average costs to implement conservation practices. Payment rates are listed on the annual Practice Payment Rate Schedule. Limited resource Farmers, Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers are eligible for higher payment rates. EQIP contracts can be as short as one year with a one year maintenance period. Most contracts are for work that can be completed within four years. Total financial assistance payments are limited to $300,000 per person or entity over the six-year period from 2009 through 2014, including payments from prior contracts and new payments from the 2008 Farm Bill.

EQIP National Program Purposes

1. Reductions of nonpoint source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with TMDLs where available as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and reduction of point sources such as contamination from confined animal feeding operations;
2. Conservation of ground and surface water resources;
3. Reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards;
4. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land; and
5. Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.

EQIP State and Local Priorities

Maryland’s EQIP program incorporates environmental priorities as identified at the state and local levels into the selection of what specific program options will be offered, and what factors, questions and screening tools will be used in the application ranking process. Ranking worksheets for each program option include evaluation questions that reflect national, state and local priorities.

2012 Conservation Practices Available for EQIP

2012 EQIP Practices (PDF); 27 KB

Maryland EQIP Program Options

Agricultural Water Quality Enhancement Program (AWEP)	This is a special option that allows eligible entities to propose special projects with producers. Applications are submitted following current annual criteria as provided in a Request for Proposals.
Animal Feeding Operations/Livestock & Poultry Operations	Provides funds to help producers implement practices to reduce environmental concerns associated with livestock and poultry operations. Includes manure storage and treatment, barnyard management, erosion and sediment control, nutrient management, feed management.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI)	CBWI provides additional funds for farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to reduce nutrient and sediment related water quality concerns. CBWI payments are countered towards a person’s EQIP payment limits.
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP)	Incentive payments are available for developing and implementing a CNMP. A CNMP is required for a producer to receive funding for an animal waste storage, treatment or handling practice.
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
Conservation Activity Plans , including Ag Energy Management, Conservation Plan Supporting Organic Transition, Drainage Water Management Plan Forest Management Plan Integrated Pest Management Irrigation Water Management Plan Nutrient Management Plan
Cropland	Funding for cropland improvements such as waterways and diversions, as well as for core conservation practices, such as nutrient management, pest management, no-till, and cover crops.
Energy Audits
Feed Management	Funding for developing and following a nutrition plan that prevents over-feeding of nitrogen and phosphorus-based nutrients.
Forest Management	Funding for implementing practices in a Forest Stewardship Plan or other approved Forest Management plan.
Grazing	Funding for establishing or improving grazing systems.
Historically Underserved Producers	EQIP has special funding set-asides specifically for Beginning Farmers and for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers. Farmers in these groups plus those qualifying as Limited Resource Farmers also qualify for higher payment rates.
Organic Farming	for operations that are either Certified Organic or are Transitioning to Organic Production.
Oyster Bed Restoration and Management
Wildlife Habitat	Some counties have designated wildlife habitat as a local resource priority and have set aside EQIP funds for that purpose. In addition, many of the other EQIP program options include wildlife habitat practices as eligible activities that can be funded as part of contract.

EQIP Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must be a farmer engaged in livestock or agricultural production on eligible land, or an owner of agricultural land or non-industrial private forest land. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pasture, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm lands, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
• Applicants must comply with USDA’s Highly Erodible Land (HEL)/Wetland Conservation provisions. For HEL, erosion must be reduced to minimum acceptable levels by the first year of the contract. Participants also must comply with Adjusted Gross Income provisions (the three-year AGI cannot exceed $1 million, with some exceptions if at least 2/3 of the income is from agricultural production).
• Priority is given to applicants who have a current conservation plan that addresses soil erosion and, if needed, nutrient management. The conservation plan should describe the practices that will be included on the contract and the schedule for implementing the practices.
• Preference is given to applicants who can complete work within 1-3 years.
• EQIP participants receiving funds for animal waste storage, handling, or treatment practices are required to develop and implement a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan
• Participants agree to maintain conservation practices implemented with EQIP financial assistance for the practice life span, which may exceed the length of the contract.
• Conservation Practices must meet or exceed Maryland NRCS standards and specifications.

How to Apply for EQIP

EQIP Applications are accepted by NRCS on a continuous basis throughout the year with periodic pooling dates to evaluate, rank, prioritize and select applicants. Monthly cycles will normally be used.

Evaluation and Ranking

EQIP is a competitive program and uses an evaluation and ranking process to assess needs and cost effectiveness. Ranking occurs after applications are first put through a screening tool and are determined to have at least minimal environmental benefits and meet EQIP program purposes. The review of applications for Fiscal Year 2012 contract requests will begin with applications received by the end of September 2011 and will continue as long as funds are available. Because of the large demand for EQIP assistance, funds are sometimes expended after a few ranking cycles.

Forms and Ranking Tools

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Excel.

EQIP Practice Payment Schedule (XLS; 113 KB)
Beginning Farmer (PDF; 53KB)
Certified Organic (PDF; 47 KB)
Cropland - Central (PDF; 53 KB)
Cropland - Eastern Shore (PDF; 53 KB)
Cropland - Northern Tier (PDF; 54 KB)
Forest Land (PDF; 28 KB)
Grazing Land - Central (PDF; 55 KB)
Grazing Land - Eastern Shore (PDF; 55 KB)
Grazing Land - Northern Tier (PDF; 55 KB)
Irrigated Cropland (PDF; 51 KB)
Livestock - Central (PDF: 53 KB)
Livestock - Eastern Shore (PDF; 55 KB)
Livestock - Northern Tier (PDF; 54 KB)
On Farm Energy (PDF; 35 KB)
Organic Transition (PDF; 47 KB)
Seasonal High Tunnels (PDF; 30 KB)
Socially Disadvantaged (PDF; 55 KB)
Wildlife Land (PDF; 49 KB)

Maryland Conservation Practice Standards - practices are found in Section IV of the Electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG)

Funding

Contracts will be awarded to producers with the highest rankings until funds are exhausted. Upon request by the applicant, applications that are not funded in the current fiscal year funding cycle can be retained for consideration in the next federal fiscal year (begins October1).