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Image of conservationist and landowner in field2007 EQIP Overview - Utah NRCS

NRCS has extended the deadline for completing environmental projects to qualify for the EQIP energy cost assistance until December 29, 2006. The energy conservation initiative has been effective at offsetting energy cost increases, and accelerating the application of conservation practices. The deadline for completion of the EQIP projects had been September 1. The one-time payment adjustment is available only to program participants who signed EQIP contracts in 2004 or earlier and who have specific eligible EQIP structural cost-shared conservation practices that may have been delayed in being implemented due to increasing energy costs. For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides cost share and incentive payments to implement conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. It is a voluntary program that promotes environmental quality in agricultural production.  EQIP was reauthorized in the 2002 Farm Bill and is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Click Here for National EQIP Information

Utah State NRCS supports the locally led conservation effort in the delivery of conservation programs.  The USDA local work group (LWG) serves as the starting point for the development and coordination of USDA programs to provide an integrated approach for addressing local natural resource concerns.  

The LWG ensures that a conservation needs assessment is developed using community stakeholders input.  Utilizing the assessment process, the LWG identifies resource concerns, recommends practices, priorities, payment rates, cost-share levels and funding needs.  The group assists in multi-county coordination when resource concerns will be addressed across county boundaries. 

The LWG information is solicited by the District Conservationists each year.  Following the submittals of LWG proposals, the Soil Conservation Districts hold a LWG meeting to review requests and make recommendations on ranking criteria, eligible practices and funding.  These recommendations are given to the DC.  The DC reviews these with the State Conservationist.  

The State Conservationist also conducts the State Technical Committee (STC) Meeting to gather input from all agriculture groups, federal, state and local agencies.  Recommendations on what are Utah’s resource concerns and methods to treat them are submitted to the State Conservationist. The State Conservationist appoints STC subcommittees to provide specific solutions to specific resource concerns.

Application Process

Application signup is an ongoing process and can be done online at USDA Online Services or completed at your local USDA Service Center with NRCS or the Farm Service Agency. The deadline for FY07 application signup is November 15, 2006.

Once an applicant completes the FY07 Program Application Workbook and submits to NRCS:

  1. NRCS will contact the applicant and arrange a time/date to conduct an evaluation and ranking of the application. Participants must provide documentation as required in the Workbook, prior to moving ahead into the ranking process.
  2. The application will be ranked.
  3. NRCS will notify the applicant in writing of selection.
  4. If selected for funding, the contract development process will be initiated.

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 Adobe Acrobat Document  FY07 Program Application Workbook (696 KB)

Eligibility

Those interested in applying for an EQIP contract must meet both person determination eligibility and land eligibility requirements before applications can be ranked.  For details concerning eligibility, refer to the Conservation Program Application Workbook.

A participant will be eligible for cost-share or incentive payments for irrigation related structural and land management practices only on land that has been irrigated for two of the last five years prior to application for assistance. Documentation of Water Rights is must be provided.

Limited Resource/Beginning Farmer

Limited resource/beginning farmers or ranchers are entitled to an extra 15% cost share above the state-approved cost share listed in each resource below.  To determine the eligibility, please refer to the following link:

USDA Limited Resource/Beginning Farmer or Rancher Program Definitions

Eligible Practices and Costs List for EQIP Contracts

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Microsoft Excel DocumentFY07 All Programs Cost List  (144 KB)
Microsoft Excel Document FY07 Eligible Practices (67 KB)

The following six resource concerns were identified as priorities for FY 2007:

Links

Air Quality - Ammonia

The ranking criteria and screening process may be viewed at the link below:

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 Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Air Quality-Ammonia Ranking Instructions  (100 KB)

Water Quality Animal Waste  (AFO/CAFO)

The Animal Feeding Operations/Confined Animal Feeding operations (AFO/CAFO) criteria is designed to provide assistance to animal feeding operations with water quality resource concerns. Not only will this assistance reduce or eliminate water quality resource concerns, it will also eliminate potential regulatory requirements. A statewide ranking criteria template for this priority concern has been developed. This will be a state-wide program signup. The cost share rate for this resource concern is 70%.

The ranking criteria and screening process may be viewed at the link below:

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat.

 Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Water Quality/Animal Waste Ranking Instructions  (104 KB)

Watershed Protection

Applications are awarded points for addressing water quality concerns, having a current conservation plan, and including a management practice incentive payment in the contract. A separate ranking tool is completed for rangeland, cropland/hayland, pasture, forestland, and riparian areas to assess soil erosion and health of the plant community. A statewide ranking criteria template for this priority concern has been developed. This will be a state-wide program signup. The cost share rate for this resource concern is 50%.

The ranking criteria and screening process for FY07  may be viewed at the links below:

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Watershed Improvement-Cropland/Hayland Ranking Instructions   (173 KB)
Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Watershed Improvement - Forestry Ranking Instructions   (132 KB)
Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Watershed Improvement - Pastureland Ranking Instructions   (130 KB)
Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Watershed Improvement - Rangeland Ranking Instructions    (178 KB)
Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Watershed Improvement - Riparian Areas Ranking Instructions   (127 KB)

Wildlife Habitat Improvement

Priority will be given to projects that will do the best job of enhancing and restoring habitats for wildlife species experiencing significant population declines. The fund allocation process for this resource concern will be split into two funding categories: state-wide request for proposals and individual project applications. 

A statewide ranking criteria template for this priority concern has been developed. This will be a state-wide program signup. The cost share rate for this resource concern is 50%.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Wildlife Habitat Improvement Ranking Instructions (185 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFY07 Wildlife Request for Proposals (22 KB)

Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) Program

Utah received funding for the Ground and Surface Water Conservation Provision of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (GSWC). GSWC follows the same operating rules as EQIP, except GSWC limits eligible conservation practices to those that will result in a net savings of ground and surface water.

To be eligible for a contract in this program a producer must have irrigated 2 out of the last 5 years. A statewide ranking criteria template for this priority concern has been developed. This will be a state-wide program signup. The cost share rate for this resource concern is 50%.

The ranking criteria and screening process may be viewed at the link below:

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Excel DocumentMicrosoft Excel.

Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Ground and Surface Water Conservation Ranking Instructions  (149 KB)

Colorado River Salinity Control Program

A major resource concern addressed by EQIP is salt loading into the Colorado River drainage. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program receives funding that is earmarked nationally for salinity control on irrigated land. It is available to producers with irrigated land in a designated portion of Carbon, Emery, Grand, Uintah, and Duchesne. Money for this purpose is designated at the national level and is used to improve irrigation efficiency and provide wildlife habitat replacement to voluntarily replace habitat lost as a result of the improved irrigation projects.

A local ranking criteria template for this priority concern has been developed.  The cost share rate for this resource concern is 75%.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Colorado River Salinity Control Program Ranking Instructions  (128 KB)
Adobe Acrobate DocumentFY07 Colorado River Salinity Control Program-Wildlife Ranking Instructions  (145 KB)

Tribal State-wide Request for Proposal

These requests can be submitted by federally recognized tribes on a state-wide basis and evaluated. Please refer to the request for proposal link below for more information and instructions:

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Adobe Acrobate DocumentTribal State-wide Request for Proposal (35 KB)

Archives

For questions or comments, Please contact the State Program Manager at 801-524-4565

Last Modified:  10/30/2007