Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Wisconsin EQIP Special Initiative Sign-Closed May 29, 2009.

Conservation Activity Plans are being offered for the first time. Plans available in 2009 include:

• Organic Agriculture Transition Plans,
• Forest Management Plans, and
• Agricultural Energy Management Plans.   (More information on these plans and payment rates is on pages 67-69 in the EQIP 2009 List of Practices.)

EQIP funds will help to cover the costs of having these plans prepared by a certified individual. All of these plans will also include an assessment that identifies resource concerns on that portion of the operation, such as soil erosion and water quality. Recommendations will also be provided for practices to address the resource concerns found and could potentially be funded through EQIP in future sign-ups.

While Forest Management Plans are familiar to many landowners, two of these plans are relatively new concepts. The Organic Agriculture Transition Plan is a farm specific plan for transitioning land to organic production based on the USDA National Organic Program criteria. The Agricultural Energy Management Plan includes an audit of the operation's headquarters as well as the working lands. An optional wind or solar site assessment is also available. The energy audit and optional site assessment do not include analysis of the household.

Air Quality EQIP Initiative   A special signup for Air Quality is also available through May 29,2009.  It is only open in nine eastern Wisconsin counties to reduce ozone levels. Eligible practices are Covers for manure storages to capture methane and also reduce odors. Solid/liquid waste separation, if not currently utilized, will also be available to make the cover system feasible. This sign-up is will take place in the following counties: Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Door.

Organic Initiative Special Sign-up Extended until June 12, 2009

Organic Initiative   The 2009 Organic Initiative is a nationwide special initiative to provide financial assistance to National Organic Program (NOP) certified organic producers as well as producers in the process of transitioning to organic production. Organic producers may also apply for assistance under general EQIP.

Under the Organic Initiative, minimum core conservation practices have been set nationally.  The core practices are: Conservation Crop Rotation; Cover Crop; Nutrient Management; Pest Management; Prescribed Grazing; and Forage Harvest Management. In addition, States may add any appropriate practice that meets the resource concern on a particular farm.  List of practices available for the Organic Special Signup in Wisconsin.  (xls file, 13kb)

Applications received from organic producers or producers in transition to organic farming will be accepted under this initiative until June 12. Applications will be ranked at that time.


 

Regular EQIP Sign up closed April 17, 2009

All applications received by April 17 will be ranked for 2009 funding.  Check the 2009 List of Practices for detailed information on eligible practices and payments.

List of Eligible Conservation Practices, Payment Rates and Limits for 2009

Overview

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program. It supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.

EQIP in Wisconsin offers financial assistance to help off-set the costs of eligible conservation practices. Incentive payments may also be made to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices, such as nutrient management, manure management, integrated pest management, or wildlife habitat management.  EQIP offers many practices geared to livestock operations of all types.  Conservation Choices for Livestock Wisconsin Operations

EQIP offers contracts for practice implementation from 1-10 years. These contracts provide payments for implementing conservation practices.
 

Conservation Practices Eligible for County Signups in 2009

Each county in Wisconsin may have different signup dates and eligible practices.  Sign-up dates will be set locally.  Local work groups select which practices will be eligible in their county from a comprehensive list of practices approved for Wisconsin. 

Waste Storage/Alternative Waste Treatment Practices

Applications for the waste storage and alternative waste treatment practices are considered on a statewide basis.  Applications must be received by April 17, 2009  to be considered for funding in 2009.  Applications may include NRCS Practice Standard 632-Solid/Liquid Waste Separation Facility, and Practice Standard 629-Waste Treatment (Manure Digestor, Incinerator, or Other Treatment Facilities option, only) and Practice Standard 313 - Waste Storage Facility.  Please note:   Preliminary documentation for Practice Standard 632, Solid/Liquid Separation Facility, and Practice Standard 629, Waste Treatment (Manure Digestor, Incinerator, or Other Treatment Facilities option, only), must be received by the NRCS State Engineer for review by January 30, 2009 to be eligible in 2009.    

Details about the Waste Storage/Alternative Waste Treatment Practices Sign-up. 

Between 25 to 33 percent of Wisconsin's EQIP funds are set aside for the Waste Storage/Waste Treatment signup.

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP)

The CNMP sign-up is done through local county signups, at all NRCS field offices.  Funds are for development of CNMPs for animal feeding operations. 

• Detailed information on CNMPs.

Eligibility

Any farmer engaged in livestock or crop production on eligible land may apply for EQIP. Eligible land includes cropland; rangeland; pasture; private non-industrial forestland; and other farm or ranch lands, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
 

What Are My Chances of Being Funded?

EQIP is a competitive program. Since program inception in 1997, demand for EQIP financial assistance has exceeded the funds available. In recent years, NRCS in Wisconsin has been able to fund about 60 percent of the applicants.  We estimate approximately two of every five applicants in the statewide signups will be successful in securing an EQIP contract this year. Since the signups for most practices are handled on a county basis, individual county results may vary from this statewide average.

Final results for this year's sign up will depend on the number of farmers who apply and the level of funding actually received.

Those applicants who are interested in waste storage should be aware that historically only one in five applications have been successful in Wisconsin. 

Input from Outside Groups, Agencies, and Citizens: The list of eligible practices in Wisconsin, cost share rates and limits, eligible resource concerns, and scoring criteria for waste storage were developed based on input and recommendations from the Wisconsin State Technical Committee (WSTC). The WSTC is made up of representatives from various agribusinesses, producer groups, conservation organizations, and federal, state, and tribal government agency representatives.

The list of eligible practices for the county wide signups, county scoring criteria, and eligible resource concerns were based on input from the Local Work Groups (LWG). The LWG is made up of county agency staff. Landowners may provide advice and information to the LWG as part of the locally led process.

The priorities set at the state and county level are those that the WSTC and LWG respectively determined were of the greatest need and would have the greatest positive environmental impact. The scoring process at both the state and local level was developed in order to select those projects that would provide the greatest environmental benefit, and therefore provide the greatest public good.

See EQIP Program Policies, Manual, Wisconsin Notices and Amendments for more information on EQIP rules.

For More Information

If you need more information about EQIP, please contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center, or your local land conservation department.