Air Quality Initiative
Wheat cover used on windstrips in an alternative cropping system. Wheat and residue cover helps hold the soil in place and prevent wind erosion.
The NRCS EQIP Air Quality Initiative provides financial assistance to implement approved conservation practices to address significant air quality resource concerns for designated high priority geographic locations throughout the nation.
Each fiscal year, NRCS will focus financial and technical assistance through the EQIP Air Quality Initiative to specific States and Counties which are designated as non-attainment according to Clean Air Act requirements. Current fiscal year States and Counties approved for assistance EQIP Air Quality Initiative are in National Bulletin 300-13-3, (PDF, 373KB) "National Programmatic and Landscape Conservation Initiative Guidance – Fiscal Year (FY) 2013". The Bulletin also includes the list of priority air quality related resource concerns, approved conservation practices, and other information related to this Initiative.
NRCS also provides financial payments to participants for conservation planning services from Technical Service Providers. as well as information about EQIP-supported Conservation Activity Plans (CAP).
Who Can Apply
Eligible producers includes persons or entities who are owners of land in agricultural or forest production or those who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest production on eligible land and that have an air quality related natural resource concern on the agricultural operation.
Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands.
Producers must submit a program application and other documentation to support eligibility to be considered for financial assistance through EQIP. Contact your local NRCS field office for more details regarding eligibility and application requirements.
How To Apply
Applications for the EQIP Air Quality Initiative are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the fiscal year. However, NRCS will establish specific dates when eligible applications will be evaluated, ranked, and approved for funding. For fiscal year 2013, NRCS State Conservationists may establish multiple application deadlines when eligible applications will be ranked and approved.
Applications submitted after these deadlines will be evaluated and considered for funding in later funding opportunities. Producers must submit a complete program application and other documentation to support eligibility to be considered for financial assistance through EQIP.
Information about how to apply for assistance through EQIP is available online. Click on the State where the property that you are interested in enrolling in EQIP is located. This will take you to that State's Programs home page, which will link to that State's EQIP page.
