EQIP Conservation Incentive Contracts (EQIP-CIC)

Conservation Incentive Contracts address priority resource concerns, including sequestering carbon and improving soil health in high-priority areas. Through these contracts, NRCS works with producers to strengthen the quality and condition of natural resources on their operations using management practices, such as irrigation water management, drainage water management, feed management and residue and tillage management that target resource concerns, including degraded soil and water quality, available water and soil erosion.

Conservation Incentive Contracts offer producers annual incentive payments to implement management practices as well as conservation evaluation and monitoring activities to help manage, maintain and improve priority natural resource concerns within state high-priority areas and build on existing conservation efforts. 

NRCS accepts applications for EQIP year-round, however producers and landowners should apply by state-specific signup dates to be considered for each year’s funding.

Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who own or lease agricultural land may be eligible. EQIP assistance can be used on many types of operations, including, but not limited to:

• Conventional and organic

• Specialty crops and commodity crops

• Forestry and wildlife

• Livestock operations

Incentive contracts:

• Require producers to address at least one priority resource concern during the contract period.

• Have an initial length of five years.

• Have a payment limitation of $200,000 for the life of the 2018 Farm Bill which expires in 2023.

• Offer two types of payments:

  • Implementation payments, which are paid after certification of practice.

  • Annual payments, which include management practices that will serve as annual payments and are paid as soon as practicable, after October 1 of each fiscal year.

NRCS offers higher payment rates and advance payments to historically underserved (HU) producers who implement conservation practices in an EQIP Conservation Incentive Contract.

To apply for EQIP Conservation Incentive Contracts, contact your local NRCS office at the details above.

• Fact Sheet

• State-Specific Signup Deadlines

• EQIP Information