Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Wisconsin EQIP Sign-up   Jan. 19 - Feb. 19, 2010.

All applications received by Feb. 19, 2010 will be ranked for 2010 funding.  Check the for detailed information on eligible practices and payments.

List of Eligible Conservation Practices, Payment Rates and Limits for 2010

Conservation Practices Eligible for County Signups

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.  New this year, Seasonal High Tunnels or Hoop Houses.

EQIP Organic Special Initiative - Sign-up Feb. 1 - March 12, 2010

Wisconsin agricultural producers who are certified organic or transitioning to organic production, may qualify for technical and financial assistance through the EQIP Organic Special Initiative.  Applications must be completed by March 12 for funding consideration in 2010.   Organic producers can receive up to $20,000 per year or $80,000 over six years through this initiative. The Organic Initiative targets conservation practices such as Conservation Crop Rotation, Cover Crop, Nutrient Management, Pest Management, Prescribed Grazing, and Forage Harvest Management. In Wisconsin, there are more than three dozen additional practices that can qualify for funding through this initiative.

Organic Practice List   (57kb, xls file)                      Organic Ranking System  (50 kb, pdf)

Waste Storage/Alternative Waste Treatment Practices

Applications for the waste storage and alternative waste treatment practices are considered on an area-wide basis.  Applications must be received by Feb. 19, 2010 to be considered for funding in 2010. 

Please note:   Preliminary documentation for Practice Standard 632, Solid/Liquid Separation Facility, Practice Standard 366-Anaerobic Digester  and Practice Standard 629, Waste Treatment (Incinerator, or Other Treatment Facilities option, only), must be received by the NRCS State Engineer for review by Feb. 2, 2010 to be eligible in 2010.     The NRCS State Engineer will provide a confirmation of practice eligibility for the landowner to proceed with the application process.

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

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.

EQIP 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 offers contracts for practice implementation from 1-10 years.

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. 

Eligibility

Any producer 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 applications and the level of funding 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 officials. 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.