How EQIP Works in Tennessee

Updated 04/22/2009

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a continuous sign-up program that offers financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. EQIP was reauthorized in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bills).

EQIP offers contracts with a minimum term that ends one year after the implementation of the last scheduled practices and a maximum term of ten years. These contracts provide cost-share to implement conservation practices. Persons who are engaged in livestock or agricultural and forest-related production on eligible land may participate in the EQIP program. Activities are carried out according to an EQIP plan of operations developed by NRCS in conjunction with the producer that identifies the appropriate conservation practice or practices to address the resource concerns. The practices are subject to NRCS technical standards adapted for local conditions.

Beginning in fiscal year 2009, applicants who have passed the Tennessee EQIP & WHIP Screening Tool will be funded continuously in three of the Tennessee fund codes, as long as funds are available. The fund codes are: Beginning Farmer, Priority Practice and Socially Disadvantaged. All other applications received as of March 30, 2009, upon passing the screening tool, will be evaluated and ranked for assistance for the 2009 fiscal year program. 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. Cost-share eligibility is contingent on the producer not starting the practice prior to having an approved EQIP contract signed by the appropriate Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) representative or without prior approval by the NRCS State Conservationist. A contract containing an EQIP Plan of Operations will be developed on applications that are accepted into the program.

Payment schedules have been developed for all eligible practices based on 75% of the state average cost of implementing the practice. Payment rates for Limited Resource Farmer and Rancher (LRF), Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BF) and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers (SDF) will all receive the Historically Underserved (HU) payment schedule amount. The HU payment rate is based on 90% of the state average cost of implementing the practice. Farmers and ranchers may elect to use a certified Technical Service Provider (TSP) for technical assistance funded by NRCS.

The State Technical Committee and Local Work Groups (LWG) have recommended conservation practices eligible for financial assistance and local priorities. Landowners and operators will choose the practices and evaluation system that best fits their needs.

Ranking Pools

Eligible persons may choose to apply in the county base program recommended by the Local Work Group or in one or more of the Statewide Resource Concerns recommended by the State Technical Committee.

The same ranking format is being used in all Tennessee counties with each county Local Work Groups developing their county specific set of ranking questions.

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