How to Apply for EQIP

EQIP is a continuous sign-up program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that allows landowners or operators to apply for financial and technical assistance for specific conservation practices. Contact the service center in the county in which you own land. Before applying, interested persons need to read the details of the EQIP Program.

Eligibility: Participant's Responsibility

1. In order to be eligible for EQIP, the applicant and the land must be determined eligible by NRCS.
   
2. If the applicant is an entity or joint operation, form CCC-501A Member’s Information will be required.
   
3. You must be able to provide proof that you have control of the land for the proposed contract period.
   
4. A CCC-526 Adjusted Gross Income Form must be completed and submitted to FSA
   
5. Sign and submit to FSA form AD-1026 – Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.
   
6. You must be able to provide proof of agricultural production in 2 of the last 5 years.
   
7. An applicant must provide correct name, address and social security number or tax identification number
   
8. If a current producer wishes to enroll in another county, the information in the data base will be added to the new county at your request. Contact FSA in the new county and request the FSA staff to transfer the original information to the data base using a Legacy Link.
   
9. Beginning Farmer or Rancher: After the information is verified, a producer will be entered in the Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) in the county matching the deed.
   
10. Applicants must be determined eligible by NRCS prior to the start of funding approvals otherwise they will be determined ineligible.
    
11. If approved for funding, the participant must begin implementation of at least one practice within the first 12 months and continue practice implementation according to the contract schedule.

Application Process

1. Apply by completing form NRCS-CPA-1200, Conservation Program Application.
   
2. Since sign-up is an on-going process, there may be more than one window of opportunity to apply for funding.
   
3. If a person applies after close of a funding period, the application will automatically be deferred to the next funding period.
   
4. A certified conservation planner determines that land offered for EQIP has a resource concern that is addressed through application of the conservation practices eligible for this signup period.
   
5. Cost share percentages depend on the funding pool of the application and participant status.
   
6. The NRCS planner ranks the applications using criteria developed for the specific funding pool. This information may be reviewed at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.
   
7. Upon completion of application evaluations, the participant will be notified of application status by mail.
   
8. If approved, the applicant must contact NRCS to make an appointment to discuss the plan and contract that will be prepared.
   
9. Upon completion of the conservation plan and contract development, NRCS will notify the participant when the contract is ready to sign.
   
10. Contact NRCS to make an appointment to review the contract.
    
11. The participant will sign the contract before the contract is obligated by signature of the NRCS contracting officer.
    
12. The participant will now begin installing the conservation practices.
    
13. When the practices are completed, contact NRCS to make an appointment to certify the practices on the land.
    
14. After NRCS certifies the practices, the application for payment will be signed by the participant and NRCS then submitted electronically to the NRCS National Finance Center for payment.
    

Form SF-1199a, Direct Deposit must be filled out to receive electronic payment.
Please visit the NRCS website at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programs to read more about EQIP. On the home page, click on “Programs” on the horizontal navigation bar. The new page will list the Farm Bill programs in the left column of the table. Scroll down and click on “Texas 2007 EQIP.” This web page provides State Resource Concerns along with many more links to more detailed information on the overall EQIP program.
 
This page also allows a link to your individual county. The County Resource Concerns, Eligible Practices, and Ranking Criteria will be available for downloading and printing. Also a link to the County Cost List is provided.

You may contact your local USDA Service Center with links provided on the website to ask for more information.