Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Sign up by February 27, 2009

Sign-up for the 2009 program will continue until February 27, 2009.  All applications received by Feb.27 will be ranked for 2009 funding.  Check the 2009 List of Practices for detailed information on eligible practices and payments.

List of Eligible Conservation Practices, Payment Rates and Limits for 2009

Overview

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program. It supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

EQIP in Wisconsin offers financial assistance to help off-set the costs of eligible conservation practices. Incentive payments may also be made to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices, such as nutrient management, manure management, integrated pest management, or wildlife habitat management.

EQIP offers contracts for practice implementation from 1-10 years. These contracts provide payments for implementing conservation practices.
 

Conservation Practices Eligible for County Signups in 2009

Each county in Wisconsin may have different signup dates and eligible practices.  Sign-up dates will be set locally.  Local work groups select which practices will be eligible in their county from a comprehensive list of practices approved for Wisconsin. 

Waste Storage/Alternative Waste Treatment Practices

Applications for the waste storage and alternative waste treatment practices are considered on a statewide basis.  Applications must be received by Feb. 27, 2009  to be considered for funding in 2009.  Applications may include NRCS Practice Standard 632-Solid/Liquid Waste Separation Facility, and Practice Standard 629-Waste Treatment (Manure Digestor, Incinerator, or Other Treatment Facilities option, only) and Practice Standard 313 - Waste Storage Facility.  Please note:   Preliminary documentation for Practice Standard 632, Solid/Liquid Separation Facility, and Practice Standard 629, Waste Treatment (Manure Digestor, Incinerator, or Other Treatment Facilities option, only), must be received by the NRCS State Engineer for review by January 30, 2009 to be eligible in 2009.    

Details about the Waste Storage/Alternative Waste Treatment Practices Sign-up. 

Between 25 to 33 percent of Wisconsin's EQIP funds are set aside for the Waste Storage/Waste Treatment signup.

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP)

The CNMP sign-up is done through local county signups, at all NRCS field offices.  Funds are for development of CNMPs for animal feeding operations. 

• Detailed information on CNMPs.

Eligibility

Any farmer engaged in livestock or crop 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.
 

What Are My Chances of Being Funded?

EQIP is a competitive program. Since program inception in 1997, demand for EQIP financial assistance has exceeded the funds available. In recent years, NRCS in Wisconsin has been able to fund about 60 percent of the applicants.  We estimate approximately two of every five applicants in the statewide signups will be successful in securing an EQIP contract this year. Since the signups for most practices are handled on a county basis, individual county results may vary from this statewide average.

Final results for this year's sign up will depend on the number of farmers who apply and the level of funding actually received.

Those applicants who are interested in waste storage should be aware that historically only one in five applications have been successful in Wisconsin. 

Input from Outside Groups, Agencies, and Citizens: The list of eligible practices in Wisconsin, cost share rates and limits, eligible resource concerns, and scoring criteria for waste storage were developed based on input and recommendations from the Wisconsin State Technical Committee (WSTC). The WSTC is made up of representatives from various agribusinesses, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.

The list of eligible practices for the county wide signups, county scoring criteria, and eligible resource concerns were based on input from the Local Work Groups (LWG). The LWG is made up of county agency staff. Landowners may provide advice and information to the LWG as part of the locally led process.

The priorities set at the state and county level are those that the WSTC and LWG respectively determined were of the greatest need and would have the greatest positive environmental impact. The scoring process at both the state and local level was developed in order to select those projects that would provide the greatest environmental benefit, and therefore provide the greatest public good.

See EQIP Program Policies, Manual, Wisconsin Notices and Amendments for more information on EQIP rules.

For More Information

If you need more information about EQIP, please contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center, or your local land conservation department.