What is EQIP? And who is eligible?

Thursday, June 20, 2024

What is EQIP? And who is eligible?

Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator

USDA logo The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.

What is Available for Livestock Operations?

Financial assistance for the storage, treatment, and utilization of animal manure, wastewater, etc. to address natural resource concerns to improve water quality, surface, and groundwater. Commonly used conservation practices include:

Increased and advance payments are available for historically underserved (HU) producers (beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and military veterans).

EQIP may be able to be used to hire Technical Service Providers (TSPs) to provide conservation planning, practice designs or implementation instructions that meet NRCS standards.

Construction of manure storage facilities,
Liners for liquid manure storages,
Roofs and covers for manure storages,
Systems for separation of solids or nutrients,
Vegetative treatment areas,
Constructing clean water diversions,
Establishing filter or buffer strips,
Handling facilities for routine mortalities,
Composting facilities,
Nutrient management, and
Soil and manure testing.

Who can Apply?

CURRENT (existing and expanding) Animal Feeding Operations/Confined Animal Feeding Operations (AFO/CAFO), not new operations. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements.