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Kansas Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Understanding EQIP in Kansas

General Information
  • The minimum length of the contract is one year past the completion of the last conservation practice; maximum term is 10 years.
  • Maximum contracts are $450,000.  There is no annual pay-out limit and payments are allowed in the first year of the contract.
  • Incentive payments are limited to $25,000 per contract, except for those incentives in the Water Quantity priority resource concern that are specifically for conversion to nonirrigated land.
  • Cost share for limited resource and beginning farmers is set at a rate 20% above the established rate.
  • Application evaluation criteria consider national and state conservation priorities.
  • Contracts with Animal Feeding Operations are required to develop and implement a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP).
How does the Kansas EQIP application process work?

The EQIP application process consists of the following six steps:

  1. A landowner submits an application to a local USDA Service Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office, conservation district office, or office of a designated cooperating entity.
  2. EQIP Self-Assessment Tool must be completed and returned to the NRCS office by application period cutoff date.
  3. NRCS works with the applicant to develop a conservation plan.
  4. NRCS ranks each application using the statewide application evaluation criteria.
  5. The designated conservationist commits allocated funds according to ranking order and NRCS develops contracts with those participants.
  6. Following contract signature by NRCS and the selected entity, funds are obligated to the project and the participant may begin to implement the conservation plan.
How does the ranking system work in Kansas?

The EQIP program is what NRCS calls "a locally led effort." States identify priority resource concerns that support national, state, and local conservation priorities and develop a ranking system based on those concerns.

In Kansas, the natural resource concerns to be addressed by EQIP are:

  • Air Quality—Objectionable Odors (Livestock Management)
  • Forestland Health - Productivity, Health, Vigor
  • Grazing Lands Health (Plant Condition—Productivity, Health, Vigor; Plant Condition-Noxious, Invasive Weeds)
  • Sedimentation of Federal Reservoirs (Soil Erosion—Streambank; Water Quality—Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water)
  • Soil Quality - Organic Matter Depletion
  • Water Quality—Excessive Organics in Ground and Surface Water (Concentrated, Non-confined Animal Waste)
  • Water Quality—Excessive Organics in Ground and Surface Water (Confined Animal Waste)
  • Water Quality—Nutrients and/or Pesticides in Ground and Surface Water; Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water
  • Water Quantity—Inefficient Water Use on Irrigated Land; Aquifer Overdraft
How are funds distributed?

Allocations are made to the NRCS administrative areas for:

  • air quality
  • forestland health
  • sedimentation of federal reservoirs
  • water quality—concentrated, non-confined animal waste
  • water quality—confined animal waste
  • water quantity

Allocations are made to the county level for:

  • grazing lands health
  • soil quality-organic matter depletion
  • water quality—nutrients, pesticides, and suspended sediment

All allocations are based on the extent of the resource concern.

Funds are allocated to the highest ranking applications within the area/county for the resource concern.

What should Kansas producers do if their previous EQIP applications have been turned down for funding?

Don't be disillusioned. Apply again. Applications are accepted continuously. Earlier applications may not have ranked high in priority, but that does not mean they did not have valid resource concerns. Applications will be ranked to optimize environmental benefits, and because of the increased funding level, more applications will get approved.

In Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006, the Farm Bill appropriates $1.2 billion, and in 2007, $1.3 billion.

Kansas received over $22 million in Fiscal Year 2004 and 1823 contracts were funded. More than 3,200 applications were received that totaled over $32 million. Producers who applied and did not receive funding should stop by the local NRCS office or conservation district office,  update their application and have it ready for the next application evaluation period.  The new EQIP Self-Assessment Tool will be required for applications to be considered.

The information on this page may also be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat format.

Questions and Answers (PDF; 69 KB)

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