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Source: USDA, 10/23/20 The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the final
rule
for its Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The rule updates USDA’s flagship program as directed by the 2018 Farm Bill and integrates feedback from agricultural producers and others. “This final rule enables us to continue helping producers manage their land in the most beneficial ways possible,” said Kevin Norton, acting Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. “EQIP offers producers more than 150 conservation practices and helps bridge the gap between their concerns and the opportunity to implement solutions.” NRCS provides producers with
financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement conservation
practices through EQIP. Popular EQIP practices include cover crops, nutrient management,
forest stand improvement, prescribed grazing, irrigation efficiency
improvement, and water quality improvement practices. Implementing conservation
practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better
wildlife habitat while improving agricultural operations. EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis. If a producer’s application is funded, NRCS will offer an EQIP contract for financial assistance to help address the cost of implementing the practices. Payment rates for conservation practices are reviewed and set each fiscal year. NRCS received nearly 600 comments
on the interim final rule, which was published December 17, 2019. To integrate
that feedback, NRCS further updated EQIP to:
- Revise its purpose statement to expressly
include addressing resource concerns for organic producers, avoiding the
need for more regulatory programs, and helping producers transition from
the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
- Revise ranking protocols to expressly include consideration of an applicant’s status under CRP.
- Adjust the definition for a “comprehensive nutrient management plan” to ensure only applicable natural resources need to be considered.
- Modify the requirements for an EQIP plan
of operations that includes the progressive implementation of a
comprehensive nutrient management plan.
- Modify language in the national
priorities to specifically include soil health and weather and drought
resilience in the national priorities.
- Modify the purpose and scope of Conservation
Innovation Grants to expressly include field research.
- Authorize reduced matching requirements
for Conservation Innovation Grant projects aimed at helping historically
underserved producers
Updates to EQIP included in the
interim final rule included:
- Creating incentive contracts and
payments for incentive practices to better support locally led
conservation needs.
- Requiring NRCS to offer an advance
payment option for historically underserved producers.
- Raising the payment cap for producers
participating in the Organic Initiative to $140,000 for contracts entered
into for fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Previously, it was $20,000 per
year and $80,000 for any six-year period.
- Expanding the Conservation Innovation
Grant program, which is funded through EQIP, to include opportunities for
On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials and Soil Health Demonstration
Trials.
The 2018 Farm Bill created
incentive contracts, which address up to three priority resource concerns
within targeted watersheds and other high priority landscapes. While typical
EQIP contracts last five years, these contracts last five to 10 years. The Farm Bill also enabled
increased payments for priority practices, through which NRCS can designate up
to 10 practices in each state to receive higher rates. EQIP helps producers make conservation improvements on their working lands, it contributes to USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda of reducing the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. Earlier this year, Secretary Perdue announced the department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. View the final rule on the Federal Register
. For more information on how to sign
up for EQIP in your state, visit your state website from nrcs.usda.gov or
contact your local NRCS field office
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