Environmental Quality Incentives Program (10.912)
Program
10.912 Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Federal Agency
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Authorization
Federal Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Public Law 104-127, as amended; Food Security Act of 1985, Subtitle D, Title XII, 16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.
Program Number
10.912
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
Technical, education, and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. This program provides assistance to farmers and ranchers in complying with Federal, State, and tribal environmental laws, and encourages environmental enhancement. The purpose of this program is achieved through the implementation of structural, vegetative, and land management practices on eligible land. This program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). NRCS provides overall program management and implementation leadership for conservation planning and implementation. The Farm Service Agency provides leadership for administrative processes and procedures for the program.
Types of Assistance
Direct Payments for Specified Use.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Technical assistance is provided in conservation planning for eligible participants. Education and financial assistance is provided for implementation of structural, vegetative, and land management practices. Cost-share payments may be made to implement one or more eligible structural or vegetative practices. Incentive payments can be made to implement one or more land management practices. Fifty percent of the funding available for technical, cost-share payments, incentive payments, and education shall be targeted at practices relating to livestock production.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Individual/family farmers and ranchers who face serious threats to soil, water, and related natural resources, or who need assistance with complying with Federal and State environment laws. A participant may be an owner, landlord, operator, or tenant of eligible agricultural lands. Limited resource producers, small-scale producers, producers of minority groups, Federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Alaska natives, and Pacific Islanders are encouraged to apply.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Individual/family farmers and ranchers who face serious threats to soil, water, and related natural resources, or who need assistance with complying with Federal and State environmental laws. A participant may be an owner, landlord, operator, or tenant of eligible agricultural lands. Limited resource producers, small-scale producers, producers of minority groups, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, Alaska natives, and Pacific Islanders are encouraged to apply.
Credentials/Documentation
Evidence that applicant has control over land to be entered into contract and submits an acceptable conservation plan for the farm or ranch unit of concern that incorporates needed natural resource conservation practices. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Program participation is voluntary. The applicant applies at the local USDA Service Center on Form CCC-1200. Applications may be filed at any time during the year. The participant develops a conservation plan for the farm or ranching unit of concern. The participant's conservation plan serves as the basis for the EQIP contract. Technical assistance, education assistance and cost-share or incentive payments may be provided to apply needed conservation practices and land use adjustments within a time schedule specified by the conservation plan. A contract with a participant may apply one or more land management practices or one or more structural or vegetative practices or both.
Award Procedure
Natural Resources Conservation Service may designate a watershed, an area, or a region of special environmental sensitivity or having significant soil, water, or related natural resource concern as a priority area. The priority areas are designated based on recommendations of local work groups which are convened by the local conservation district. NRCS will give special consideration to applicants in priority areas who have conservation plans that address the natural resource concerns for which the priority area was designated. Technical, education, and financial assistance may also be provided to participants with significant statewide natural resource concerns outside a priority area. Applications will be periodically ranked and selected for funding.
Deadlines
None.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
A participant may appeal any adverse determination to the FSA county committee.
Renewals
Not applicable.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Structural and vegetative practices can be funded by cost-sharing up to 75 percent of the total cost of establishing the practice. Incentive payments can be made for land management practices in an amount and rate that NRCS determines is necessary to encourage a participant to perform the practice that would not otherwise be initiated without government assistance. Other practices may be required to be installed without program payments.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Contract period is between 5 to 10 years, depending on the conservation systems that need to be applied. Obligations for assistance are tied to the schedule for applying conservation practices included in the conservation plan used as the basis for the 5 to 10 year contract. Payments are made when the participant and NRCS certify that conservation practice is completed in accordance with contract. CCC expenditures under a contract entered into during a fiscal year will not be made until the subsequent fiscal year.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
There are no reports and the participants makes an annual status review during the length of the contract that includes maintenance of completed contract items and need for deletion or addition of contract items. Participants must operate and maintain a conservation practice for its intended purpose for the life span of the practice.
Audits
Natural Resources Conservation Service makes periodic random reviews of the operation and maintenance of the contract items during the life span of the conservation practice. Participants are subject to audit by the Office of Inspector General, USDA.
Records
Maintained in local NRCS office, FSA county office, and Federal record centers for specified number of years.
Program Accomplishments
Over 1,300 State priority areas were submitted. These proposals far exceeded the available funds for fiscal year 1998. When fund allocations were made to the States, it resulted in 655 approved priority areas being funded. Over 55,000 applications were received in fiscal year 1998. NRCS estimates that it would require over $490 million to fully fund all of the applications received last year, alone, which is three times the available financial assistance funds. After NRCS ranked the applications based on criteria developed at the local and state level, FSA county committees approved over 19,800 long- term contracts with farmers and ranchers. The EQIP financial assistance on these contracts will exceed $157 million over the 5 to 10 year length of the contracts.
Financial Information
Account Identification
12-4336-0-1-302.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $160,122,232; FY 03 est $164,470,000; and FY 04 est $162,000,000. (Salaries and expenses) FY 02 $37,989,132; FY 03 est $35,530,000; and FY 04 est $38,000,000. (Education Assistance) FY 02 $1,831,436; FY 03 & FY 04 est will not exceed 1% of grants obligations estimate.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Cost-share and incentive payments are limited to $10,000 per person per year and to $50,000 over the length of the contract. Average contract payments are estimated to be $15,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
7 CFR Part 1466. Program is announced through news media and in announcements to agricultural producers, farm and ranch owners and operators in the county. Program manuals, handbooks, and leaflets issued by NRCS and FSA.
Related Programs
10.054, Emergency Conservation Program; 10.064, Forestry Incentives Program; 10.069, Conservation Reserve Program; 10.072, Wetlands Reserve Program; 10.901, Resource Conservation and Development; 10.902, Soil and Water Conservation; 10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
For more information on this and other related conservation programs, consult the local telephone directory where your land is located for location of the USDA service center. NRCS, FSA, and many local conservation districts are located in USDA service centers. For a list of NRCS State offices with telephone numbers and addresses, see appropriate Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Deputy Chief for Natural Resource Conservation Programs, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013. Attn: Deputy Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Programs. Telephone: (202) 720-1845. FAX: (202) 720-4265.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
No projects were funded at the time of publication.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Applications will be periodically ranked and selected for funding based on: the environmental benefits per dollar expended; the cost-effectiveness of the conversation practices; the environmental benefits derived; extent to which the contract will assist the applicant in complying with Federal, State, tribal or local environmental laws; whether the land is located in a priority area and the extent the contract will assist the priority area goals and objectives.
