USDA NRCS in Tennessee now accepting FY 2023 EQIP applications
NASHVILLE, August 24, 2022– Producers in Tennessee who are interested in implementing conservation practices to improve natural resources on their farmland have until Friday, November 18, 2022, to submit their application for financial assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
“We accept applications for this program on a continuous basis, however, only the applications received by November 18 will be considered for funding this fiscal year,” said Sheldon Hightower, Tennessee NRCS State Conservationist. “EQIP places a priority on water quality, water conservation, and promotes soil health practices, by offering financial and technical assistance to address these resource concerns on eligible agricultural land.”
EQIP is an incentives-based program that provides technical and financial assistance for conservation systems such as animal waste management facilities, irrigation system efficiency improvements, fencing, and water supply development for improved grazing management, riparian protection, wildlife habitat enhancement, and cover crops for soil resource protection.
Applications can be taken at all Tennessee NRCS county offices and USDA service centers. Click here to locate an office near you. Applications must be received in your local service center by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2022.
Applicants can submit a signed and dated Form NRCS-CPA-1200 in the office, hand delivered, mailed, scanned, emailed, or through an agency-approved business tool (Farmers.gov). If NRCS receives a program application request by other means, such as by telephone, a NRCS representative must manually prepare Form NRCS-CPA-1200, using the date NRCS received the request in order to establish the application cut-off deadline has been met. NRCS will follow up to obtain the participant’s signature to ensure the application was properly completed prior to ranking.
NRCS continually strives to put conservation planning at the forefront of its programs and initiatives. Conservation plans provide landowners with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of their resources and an appropriate start to improving the quality of soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife on their land.
Conservation planning services can also be obtained through a Technical Service Provider who will develop a Conservation Activity Plan to identify conservation practices needed to address a specific natural resource need. Typically, these plans are specific to certain kinds of land use, such as transitioning to organic operations, grazing land, or forest land. Conservation Activity Plans can also address a specific resource need, such as a plan for management of nutrients. Although not required, producers who first develop a Conservation Activity Plan for their land use, may use this information in applying for future implementation contracts.
Contact Jamie Carpenter at jamie.carpenter@usda.gov or 615-277-2576, for more information about the EQIP program in Tennessee, or visit the Tennessee NRCS website.
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