Just have a minute? Read Missouri's brief EQIP fact sheet here.
Introduction
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, agricultural producers receive financial and technical assistance to implement structural and management conservation practices that optimize environmental benefits on working agricultural land.
Accepting Applications
EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, NRCS establishes application "cut-off" or submission deadline dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers and submitted applications may be considered or evaluated in multiple funding pool opportunities. The following document describes how to apply for Farm Bill programs or visit the following website: Get started with NRCS national page
Agricultural producers and owners of non-industrial private forestland and Tribes are eligible to apply for EQIP. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, non-industrial private forestland and other farm or ranch lands.
Applicants must:
Control or own eligible land
Comply with adjusted gross income limitation (AGI) provisions
Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements
Develop an NRCS EQIP plan of operations
Additional restrictions and program requirements may apply.
Participant Responsibilities
Applicants are responsible for completing and filing all application and eligibility paperwork as required. If funded, participants are required to sign a contract and agree to implement the planned conservation practices to NRCS standards and specifications as scheduled.
Socially Disadvantaged, Beginning, and Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers, Military Veteran Farmers
The 2014 Farm Bill continues to address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as beginning and limited resource farmers and ranchers and Veteran Farmers. It provides for voluntary participation, offers incentives, and focuses on equity in accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and services. Enhancements include increased payment rates and advance payments of up to 50 percent to purchase materials and services needed to implement conservation practices included in their EQIP contract.
Missouri is committed to reaching out to Historically Underserved individuals and groups. Historically Underserved participants may also receive higher payment rates in addition to being considered in high priority funding pools. Click here for more information.
National and State Priorities
The following national priorities, consistent with statutory resources concerns that include soil, water, wildlife, air quality, and related natural resource concerns, may be used in EQIP implementation:
Reductions of nonpoint source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with total maximum daily loads (TMDL) where available; the reduction of surface and groundwater contamination; and the reduction of contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations
Conservation of ground and surface water resources
Reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land
Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation including development and improvement of wildlife habitat
Energy conservation to help save fuel, improve efficiency of water use, maintain production, and protect soil and water resources by more efficiently using fertilizers and pesticides and
Biological carbon storage and sequestration
In addition, Missouri has identified the following priorities:
Increase water quality through reducing sediment and nutrients entering Missouri waters through landscape best management practices and improved animal feeding operations
Improve health and productivity of Missouri soils
Promote sustainable and healthy grazing management on Missouri farms and ranches
Add habitat and diversity for Missouri’s diverse population of wildlife
Provide management improvements and activities on Missouri’s privately-held forestlands
Conservation Activity Plans (CAP)
NRCS also provides financial assistance opportunities to participants for conservation planning services through a Technical Service Provider (TSP) to develop Conservation Activity Plans (CAP). A CAP can be developed for producers to identify conservation practices needed to address a specific natural resource need. Typically, these plans are specific to certain kinds of land use such as transitioning to organic operations, grazing land, forest land, or can also address a specific resource need such a plan for management of nutrients or to address an air quality concern. With a CAP plan, producers can then apply for financial assistance to implement the needed conservation practices. More detailed information on Conservation Activity Plans is available on the National Conservation Activity Plan website.
Fiscal Year 2017 Missouri EQIP Deadlines
Applications submitted by the deadlines identified below will be evaluated to be considered for funding in fiscal year 2017. Applications received after that date will be accepted and evaluated for future rounds of funding.
Owners of land in agricultural or forest production, or persons who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest production on eligible land that have a natural resource concern on the land may participate in EQIP. Additionally, owners of private agricultural land or non-industrial private forestland that are interested in developing or improving wildlife may participate in EQIP.
The EQIP Organic Initiative provides assistance to eligible applicants to install conservation practices on agricultural operations related to organic production such as certified organic producers, producers transitioning to organic production, and certification exempt producers according to the USDA-National Organic Program.
The purpose of the High Tunnel Initiative is to assist producers to extend the growing season for high value crops in an environmentally safe manner. The practice has the potential to assist producers to address resource concerns by improving plant quality, improving soil quality, and reducing nutrient and pesticide transport.
The EQIP On-Farm Energy Initiative assists producers by identifying ways to conserve energy on the farm through an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP), also known as an on-farm energy audit; and by providing financial and technical assistance to help the producer implement recommendations and conservation practices identified in the audit plan.
On-Farm Energy Conservation Activity Plan (CAP) Ranking Questions (Coming Soon)
National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
The National Water Quality Initiative is a focused approach to assist landowners in priority watersheds to apply selected conservation practices to reduce the flow of sediment, nutrients and other runoff into impaired waterways.
The FY17 priority watersheds are:
Upper Troublesome Creek in Knox and Lewis Counties, HUC 071100030202
Givins Branch-Niangua River in Webster and Dallas Counties, HUC 102901100103
Basin Fork in Pettis and Johnson Counties, HUC 103001030202
The Missouri Ozark Restoration Partnership provides financial assistance to help landowners improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where Mark Twain National Forest and private lands meet in southern Missouri. Eligible landowners in the following Missouri counties can participate in this initiative; Barry, Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Christian, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Howell, Iron, Laclede, Madison, Oregon, Ozark, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Taney, Texas, Washington, Wayne, and Wright.
The Monarch Butterfly Habitat Development Project provides financial and technical assistance to Missouri farmers, ranchers and landowners interested in restoring and/or establishing habitat benefiting Monarch Butterflies. You can read more about NRCS’ Monarch Butterfly Project here.
Seven Missouri watersheds are among those selected in 13 states along the Mississippi River as part of continuing Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) efforts.
RCPP promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners through partnership agreements and through EQIP program contracts.
The Edge of Field Water Quality Monitoring project is an effort to help farmers improve and/or verify the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices and systems on their farm fields. As part of the project, monitoring equipment will be installed to evaluate the quality of water draining from a farm field. Funding is provided for both monitoring system installation and also collecting and evaluating the data. Farmers will work with a monitoring professional (private or public) as well as NRCS on this project.
Cropland, Forestland, Pasture/Hayland, Wildlife, Animal Feeding/Waste, Soil Health-Cropland, Soil Health-Pasture, and Agroforestry Land Use Applications
Applications in each of these separate land uses will be evaluated for funding with other eligible applications in that same land use. Some land use subaccounts are statewide, some are area-wide, and some are based on multi-county areas (called Field Office Service Areas – FOSAs). For each subaccount, the national questions have been developed by national staff. The state questions were developed based on input from the State Technical Committee, conservation partners and NRCS technical and program staffs. The local questions are based on FOSA or area-wide compilations from each county’s Local Work Group in that specific area. Applicants who provide a written request and qualify for funds targeted to Beginning Farmer/Rancher (BF) and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer/Rancher (SDF) will compete on a statewide basis with similar (BF or SDF) applicants under the applicable Land Use.
Eligible applicants requesting EQIP financial assistance for practices associated with animal feeding/waste facilities must have a current Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) that references the installation of the animal feeding/waste practices on the acres requesting assistance, prior to NRCS providing technical or financial assistance. An applicant may request EQIP financial assistance to use an approved independent third-party provider for development of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan for all waste-generating animals and waste management operations under their control. Information about third-party technical assistance is available at USDA TechReg. Eligible EQIP Animal Feeding/Waste (AF/W) applications will compete for funds on a statewide basis.
Click on the map to enlarge and view Missouri NRCS Administrative Areas
Click on the map to enlargeand view Missouri NRCS Field Office Service Areas (FOSAs).
Animal Feeding/Waste Conservation Activity Plan (CAP)
Statewide
Animal Feeding/Waste CAP
Soil Health-Cropland
Statewide
Soil Health-Cropland
Soil Health-Pasture
Statewide
Soil Health-Pasture
Agroforestry
Statewide
Agroforestry
Missouri EQIP Contact Information
Curt McDaniel, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
USDA NRCS State Office
Parkade Center, Suite 250
601 Business Loop, 70 West
Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573-876-9363
Lauren A. Cartwright
USDA NRCS State Office, EQIP Program Coordinator
Parkade Center, Suite 250
601 Business Loop, 70 West
Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573-876-9415
