2008 Farm Bill Reauthorizes EQIP

by Joel A. Willhoft, Area Resource Conservationist
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Hays, Kansas

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) reauthorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) will continue to provide a voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. EQIP provides financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land to solve priority resource problems or concerns addressing water quality, soil quality, water quantity, rangeland health, livestock waste, and forest lands health.

Agricultural producers with eligible EQIP applications may receive per acre management practice incentive payments for no-till, nutrient management, irrigation water management, and prescribed grazing, to name a few, depending on the resource concern or problem that is addressed. Management practice incentive payments are generally based on a period of adoption of not less than three years but are paid "upfront" in the first year that the management practice is accomplished on the entire acreage under application.

Agricultural producers with eligible EQIP applications may also receive financial assistance for installing structural and vegetative conservation practices such as terraces, diversions, livestock watering facilities, cross fences, grassed waterways, livestock waste systems, and grass plantings. These payments are made upon the successful completion of the conservation practice.

The 2008 Farm Bill regulations for EQIP have not yet been completed; however, EQIP assistance in Kansas will likely continue to be funded at current or higher levels. The basic financial assistance that EQIP provides for management practice incentive payments, structural practice payments, and vegetative practice payments will not change drastically under the new Farm Bill.

Sign up for EQIP is on a continuous basis with Fiscal Year 2009 applications to be funded early in the 2009 calendar year. Agricultural producers interested in signing an application for EQIP in 2009 are highly encouraged to visit their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office now to develop a conservation plan and EQIP application.

For more information about NRCS programs or natural resources conservation, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

This article is also available in Microsoft Word format.

2008 Farm Bill Reauthorizes EQIP (DOC; 49 KB)

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Last Modified: 12/08/2008