The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a program that provides technical assistance, cost-share payments, and incentive payments to assist crop, livestock, and other agricultural producers with environmental and conservation improvements to their operation.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). EQIP may pay up to 75% of the costs of eligible conservation practices. Incentive payments may be made to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices, such as nutrient management, manure management, integrated pest management, and wildlife habitat management.

Eligible practices include:

* Irrigation Water Management
* Prescribed Grazing
* Invasive Species Management
* Waste Storage Facility
* Well Decommissioning
* Windbreak Establishment
* AND MORE

There are over 60 eligible practices that EQIP can provide assistance for.

Please contact our office at          (320) 968-5300 Ext. 3 for a complete list of eligible conservation practices.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

2009 EQIP Sign-up.  Please contact our office if interested in signing up.  We will take your name, phone number and contact you when the sign up occurs.

Residue Management: No-till, Strip-till, and Mulch-till
In 2006 there were 1,604 acres signed up for conservation tillage in Benton County. Landowners may sign up for EQIP for no-till, strip-till, or mulch-till. The residue management practice pays landowners an incentive payment for no more than 3 years to leave at least 30% residue on their crop fields.
Residue levels are checked by SWCD or NRCS employees in the spring immediately after planting.
Landowners may not sign up to receive their 3 years of incentive payments during the first year to assist with purchasing tillage equipment that has the ability to leave 30% residue on the soil surface.

  
Prescribed Grazing
Prescribed grazing is managing the controlled harvest of vegetation with grazing animals. Fencing, pipeline, watering tanks, heavy use area protection, and pasture seeding are all practices that are eligible for cost-share payments through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Prescribed grazing plans are completed by the SWCD and NRCS office.

  
Invasive Species Management
The purpose of this practice is to encourage the control of invasive plant species in non-cropland areas, including grazing lands and pastures.
This practice offers an incentive payment for up to 3 years for the management of invasive species up to 120 acres.
Invasive species to be controlled include European and glossy buckthorn, Multiflora Rose, Japanese barberry, honeysuckle, and more.

For more information on invasive species, please click here