How Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Works in North Dakota

In North Dakota, the EQIP Program has been designed through a locally-led process. The State Technical Committee, consisting of conservation stakeholders across the State, have provided NRCS with invaluably recommendations for localizing the program to meet the natural resource needs in North Dakota.

The State Technical Committee has been involved in determining statewide resource concerns, developing application ranking criteria, identifying eligible conservation practices, recommending cost-share rates and incentive payment levels, and recommending funding allocations.

The program has been further "localized" by assigning much of the priority setting at the county or reservation level.  The USDA Local Work Group (LWG), chaired by the local soil conservation district and membership consisting of NRCS, FSA, Extension Service, and Tribal, State, and local government officials, provide recommendations to the NRCS district conservationist on program implementation at the local level.

Operating within the parameters developed by NRCS from recommendations received by the State Technical Committee, the LWG provides grassroots input to the program.  This is accomplished in their role of determining local resource concerns, refining application ranking criteria to meet local needs, identifying eligible conservation practices, recommending cost-share rates and incentive payment levels, and recommending applications for funding.

To accomplish the natural resource goals developed by LWGs, 74 percent of North Dakota's EQIP allocation will be allocated to the counties.  These resource concerns range from ground water quality, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat.  The remaining allocation has been prioritized to address statewide priorities recommended by the State Technical Committee.  The statewide priority of Animal Feeding Operations will aid in implementing animal waste systems within the State.  Since the systems may be costly, funding held at the State level will be used to fund approved contracts rather than tapping into the local allocation.

The statewide priority of ground and surface water, will aid in implementing efficient irrigation systems.  This funding source will be used to fund conversions of existing irrigation systems to a more water efficient system.  Applications will be ranked at the local level, put will compete for funding with all other irrigation applications in the State.

Since requests for EQIP contracts outweigh available funding, EQIP applicants compete for contracts through a system that ranks the application on how well it will optimize environmental benefits.  This optimization is determined by quantifying the extent that local, State, and National EQIP priorities, as well as, National measures will be met.  Applications are run through a series of ranking criteria, National, State, and local in scope, to aid in optimizing the benefits of EQIP.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program which offers farmers and ranchers a tool to address their natural resource concerns while achieving the most environmental benefits through locally developed priority areas and natural resource concerns. 

Eligibility for the program is limited to persons who are engaged in livestock or agricultural production.  EQIP provides cost-share assistance for up to 75 percent of certain conservation practices.  Incentive payments can be offered to encourage producers to perform land management practices.

In 2005, North Dakota agricultural producers communicated their willingness to conserve natural resources on their private working lands.  Two thousand one hundred thirty-six applicants requested technical and financial assistance from NRCS to complete conservation practices on their lands.  North Dakota NRCS was allocated approximately $18,022,219 to assist ag producers in achieving their conservation goals.  One thousand eighty seven applicants were successful in securing funding.

Signups are conducted at USDA Service Centers in North Dakota.