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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Last Modified:
07/15/2008
Farm and forestry activities in New Hampshire are good for our state, our
health, and our economy. When properly planned and managed, they are also good
for our natural resources.
The
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary cost-sharing
program.
NRCS
offers assistance for planning, designing, and installing conservation practices on eligible
agricultural land. Technical assistance is provided by
NRCS employees or non-governmental certified
Technical Service Providers (TSPs),
whichever you choose.
The following information serves as a summary of the EQIP
program. Your
local
NRCS
Service Center has more detailed information on available funding,
natural resource priorities, the application process, and eligibility. You
can also visit the
National
EQIP Website
for more information.
Articles:
Deerly Beloved
Piece By Piece at the Swain
Farm
2006 NH EQIP
Success Story
2005 NH EQIP Success Story Program Overview
EQIP is a voluntary program that provides assistance to
farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related
natural resources on their land.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides assistance to agricultural
producers in a manner that will promote agricultural production and
environmental quality as compatible goals, optimize environmental
benefits, and help farmers and ranchers meet Federal, State, Tribal, and
local environmental requirements. |
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Eligibility
Producers: Agricultural producers, individuals or entities engaged in livestock
or agricultural production, may participate in EQIP. There are, however,
circumstances that may limit an individual’s or entity’s participation.
These circumstances include:
- Federal and State governments and their political subdivisions
are not eligible.
- The applicant must be in compliance with highly erodible land and
wetland conservation provisions.
- The adjusted gross income provision of the 2002 Farm Bill impacts
eligibility for EQIP and several other 2002 Farm Bill programs.
Individuals or entities that have an average adjusted gross income
exceeding $2.5 million for the three tax years immediately preceding
the year the contract is approved are not eligible to EQIP Program
Description receive program benefits or payments. However, an
exemption is provided in cases where 75 percent of the adjusted
gross income is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry
operations.
- The 2002 Farm Bill limits the total amount of cost-share and
incentive payments paid to an individual or entity to an aggregate
of $450,000, directly or indirectly, for all contracts entered into
during fiscal years 2002 through 2007. All individual producers,
entities, or other applications with multiple beneficiaries must
provide Social Security numbers at the time of application for
purposes of monitoring payment limitations.
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Land:
Eligible land means land on which agricultural commodities or
livestock are produced. This includes:
- Cropland
- Rangeland
- Grassland
- Pasture land
- Private, non-industrial forestland
- Other land determined to pose a serious threat to soil, air, water, or
related resources.
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What
projects may qualify for EQIP?
- Manure storage
- Composting
- Erosion control
- Nutrient management
- Pasture management
- Streambank fencing
- Watering systems
- Heavy use areas
- Forest erosion control
- Grassed Waterways
- Filter strips
- Buffers
- Integrated Pest
Management (IPM)
- And many more!
What projects do not qualify?Building or fixing up barns and
buildings, and drainage or alteration of wetlands are two examples of
activities that are not eligible for cost-sharing.
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Who is eligible to apply? Any producer engaged in livestock or crop production on eligible land may
apply for EQIP.
Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pasture
land, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands as
determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
EQIP fundingCost sharing is available for certain practices at up to 75%
of actual cost to the landowner.
More information
on practices and practice payment schedule
How do I get started?We have a companion web site
here on getting conservation assistance for your farm. Then, contact your
local office for
information on signing up for EQIP.
A conservationist will inventory your resources with you and identify opportunities to protect,
maintain, or improve them. Your conservationist can help you decide how to address each problem and
develop a plan for your land. Learn
more about conservation planning.
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Will my application be funded?
Your plan and needed conservation practices will be ranked against other
similar proposals from New Hampshire. Applicants compete only with other proposals in the
same natural resource categories. Rating of
individual plans and ranking will be done
periodically on applications received by an announced
statewide cut-off date. Applications that
provide greatest natural resource benefit will be approved for funding until the money runs
out. At least 60 percent of the allocated funds to New Hampshire will be
used to address resource concerns involving livestock. If your application is approved, the
EQIP conservationist will turn your
application and plan into a contract. We will provide design guidelines
for all of the practices in the contract, since Federal government standards
must be met for all Federally funded contracts.
The Natural Resource Concerns for New Hampshire
Input from Local Work Groups and the
NH State Technical Committee identified four areas of natural resource
concern. The following are the five categories developed for NH with examples of
conservation practices that can be cost-shared with
EQIP funding. Each
category has its own environmental rating form that addresses the four National
EQIP priorities.
These national priorities are reduction of non-point
source pollutants, air quality improvement, reduction of soil erosion, and
promotion of at-risk wildlife species recovery.
Approved practices, cost-sharing rates, and rating information.
A. Farmstead Environmental Concerns
- Agricultural Waste Storage
-
Composting Facility
-
Nutrient Management
-
Heavy Use Area Protection
-
Milkhouse Waste Treatment
-
Silage Leachate Treatment
-
Roof Runoff Management
B. Soil and Water Conservation
- Microirrigation
-
Tailwater Recovery
-
Irrigation Pipeline
-
Nutrient Management
-
Pest Management
-
Conservation Buffers
-
Mulch Tillage
-
No-Till
-
Contour Farming
-
Waterways and Diversions
-
Nutrient Management (Non-Animal Waste)
-
Pest Management
-
Conservation Buffers
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C. Grazing Land Environmental Concerns
- Prescribed Grazing
-
Fencing
-
Animal Trails and Walkways
-
Pasture and Hayland Planting
-
Watering Facilities
-
Spring Developments
-
Conservation Buffers
D. Forestland Environmental Concerns
- Access Roads
- Critical Area Planting
-
Forest Trails and Landings
-
Water Control Structures (Crossings)
-
Tree Planting
-
Site Preparation (for planting or natural regeneration)
-
Forest Stand Improvement
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Practice Lists, Cost-Share Rates, and Ranking Criteria
2008 New Hampshire EQIP documents available for
download. They require
Adobe Acrobat.
2008 EQIP
Payment Schedule
2008 EQIP Final Practice List
Farmstead
Environmental Concerns Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Soil
& Water Conservation Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Grazing
Lands Environmental Ranking Summary(14 KB)
Forestland
Environmental Concerns Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Archived 2007 New Hampshire EQIP documents available for
download. They require
Adobe Acrobat.
2007
EQIP Application Worksheet (232 KB)
2007
EQIP Final Practice List (36.8 KB)
Farmstead
Environmental Concerns Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Soil
& Water Conservation Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Grazing
Lands Environmental Ranking Summary(14 KB)
Forestland
Environmental Concerns Ranking Summary (14 KB)
Archived 2006 New Hampshire EQIP documents available for download. They require
Adobe Acrobat.
EQIP
Ranking Criteria (42 KB)
List
of Approved Conservation Practices (26 KB)
Guidance on Rating
(17 KB)
Rating Form for Farmstead Environmental
Concerns (20 KB)
Rating Form for Cropland Environmental
Concerns (17 KB)
Rating Form for Water Conservation
(16 KB)
Rating Form for Grazing Land Environmental
Concerns (19 KB)
Rating Form for Forestland Environmental
Concerns (20 KB)
Archived 2005 New Hampshire EQIP documents available for
download. They require
Adobe Acrobat.
List
of Approved Conservation Practices for 2005 (88 KB)
Guidance on Rating
(70 KB)
Rating Form for Farmstead Environmental
Concerns (71 KB)
Rating Form for Cropland Environmental
Concerns (64 KB)
Rating Form for Water Conservation (63 KB)
Rating Form for Grazing Land Environmental
Concerns (70 KB)
Rating Form for Forestland Environmental
Concerns (92 KB)
Cost
List for Practices and Components (84 KB)
Local
Input
Local input through the State Technical Committee and local
work groups help define EQIP resource
concerns. Local
Work Groups can be established on a county or multi-county basis, with meetings
convened by the local county Conservation Districts. Local Work Groups are
an example of locally-led conservation.
The
Local Work Group may advise NRCS on a number of EQIP issues including the
identification of resource concerns and public outreach and
information efforts. The Local Work Group ensures that a conservation
needs assessment is developed using community stakeholders input. The
assessment process helps the Local Work Group identify resource concerns,
recommend practices, priorities, payment rates, cost share levels, and funding
needs.
Find out about your Local Work Group by contacting
your county conservation district.
To find out more about EQIP and other conservation
programs, visit your local USDA
Service Center and talk with someone from the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Farm Service Agency, or your local Conservation
District. For office locations, click
here.
Contact for More Information
Jim
Spielman, Resource Conservationist
(603) 868-7581
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