How EQIP Works in Maryland

Eligibility

Any farmer engaged in livestock, crop or wood product production on eligible land may apply for EQIP. Eligible land includes cropland; rangeland; pasture; private non-industrial forestland; and other farm or ranch lands, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

In order to be eligible to signup for EQIP, the applicant must be determined to be an eligible producer. The land offered for EQIP must also be determined eligible by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Eligible land for the 2005 EQIP signup is land that has a resource concern identified by a certified conservation planner that can be addressed through application of the conservation practices eligible for this signup period. The participant must complete and sign all necessary forms including the CCC-1200 and Appendix (which is the official application) by the end of the sign-up period. Cost-share eligibility is contingent on the producer not starting the practice prior to having an approved EQIP contract signed by the appropriate Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) representative.

Ranking Applications

The Maryland EQIP ranking process is designed to be straightforward and objective while meeting all national priorities and ranking factors.  The process has been structured to provide input from the local level while distributing some of the evaluation workload to the state office level. The ranking process will optimize the use of funds in areas that have the greatest potential for environmental benefits.

All applications will be ranked according to the following factors:

• The degree of cost effectiveness of the proposed conservation practices
• The magnitude of the environmental benefits resulting from the treatment of National Priorities and the priority natural resource concerns reflecting the level of performance of the conservation practice
• Treatment of multiple resource concerns
• Use of conservation practices that provide environmental enhancements for a longer period of time
• Compliance with Federal, State, or local regulatory requirements concerning soil, water, and air quality, wildlife habitat, and ground and surface water conservation
• Other locally defined pertinent factors, such as the location of the conservation practice in relation to an environmentally sensitive area, the extent of natural resource degradation, and the degree of cooperation by local producers to achieve environmental improvements

Important aspects of the process include:

• A statewide sign-up and evaluation will occur for certain practices. The competition pool is statewide. At least forty percent of Maryland's allocation is devoted to this category. The practices include; animal waste storage, including waste storage facilities, lagoons, roof runoff and contributing watershed management (as it relates to managing animal waste), all other Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) components, heavy use area protection, composting facilities for animal mortality and animal waste and closure of waste impoundments, when they are no longer used for their intended purpose. The District Conservationist determines if the applicant meets the criteria and "scores" the application before forwarding it to the NRCS state office. Approval of applications for funding will be based on how well those applications compete within the statewide pool of applications.
• Each county will take advantage of the same statewide sign-up period for a host of practices that relate to cropland, hayland, forest land, irrigation, and nurseries. Up to sixty percent of Maryland’s allocation is devoted to these categories. The evaluation criteria is standardized and the competition pool is local. The District Conservationist determines if the applicant meets the criteria and “scores” the application. The application is retained at the local office. The amount of financial assistance funding for the local applications will be proportional to the number and dollar value of the applications with extra weight given to certain conservation practices that have a high environmental value.

Cost Share and Incentives for Conservation Practices

Cost share rates and incentives for conservation practices have been developed to promote positive conservation outcomes tailored to the environmental needs of Maryland. Cost share rates range from 25% to 75%, optimizing the cost-effectiveness of the program. The basis of cost sharing is percent of actual cost (AM). Cost data is developed on a county-by-county basis. Individual NRCS field offices maintain an up-to-date comprehensive cost component list. These locally set elements of the cost shared practice are the basis of average costs as well as specified maximum costs.

Incentives are designed to encourage producers to implement the practices needed to fully address resource concerns. The cost basis for incentive payments are expressed as flat rates (FR).

Provisions of the cost-share schedule include:

• Up to 75% cost share may be applied to the practices considered to have the greatest environmental return and that address the greatest number of resource concerns: (Certain conditions and limits may apply)
  • 313 Waste Storage Facility
  • 359 Waste Treatment Lagoon
  • 635 Waste Treatment Strip.
• The remaining practices are cost-shared at a 50% rate. Certain conditions and limits may apply.
  • 360 Closure of (abandoned animal) waste (storage) impoundments
  • 317 Composting Facility
  • 656 Constructed Wetland
  • 342 Critical Area Planting
  • 362 Diversion
  • 382 Fencing
  • 666 Forest Stand Improvement
  • 410 Grade Stabilization Structure
  • 412 Grassed Waterway
  • 512 Hayland Planting
  • 561 Heavy Use Area Protection
  • 441 Irrigation System, Micro-irrigation
  • 442 Irrigation System, Sprinkler
  • 468 Lined Waterway or Outlet
  • 391 Riparian Forest Buffer
  • 558 Roof Runoff Management
  • 350 Sediment Basin
  • 234-I Sinkhole & Sinkhole Area Treatment
  • 574 Spring Development
  • 728 Stream Crossing
  • 580 Streambank Protection (non-tidal only)
  • 587 Structure for Water Control
  • 447 Tailwater Recovery (storage facility)
  • 600 Terrace
  • 612 Tree Planting
  • 642 Water Well
  • 614 Watering Facility (tank or trough)
• Practices cost-shared at a 25% rate include: (Certain conditions and limits may apply)
  • 327 Conservation Cover
  • 386 Field Border
  • 393 Filter Strip
  • 378 Pond (Restoration)
• Incentives are provided for the development and implementation of selected management practices. They include:
  • 332 Contour Buffer Strips
  • 340 Cover and Green Manure Crop
  • 590 Nutrient Management and Enhanced Nutrient Management
  • 595 Integrated Pest Management

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