NRCS-WA ANNOUNCES FY’23 EQIP CLASSIC DEADLINE

NRCS-WA announces FY’23 EQIP Classic deadline

Application Deadline: Oct. 13, 2022
FSA Eligibility Deadline: Nov. 18, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington announced Oct. 13, 2022, as the application deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Classic for Fiscal Year 2023.

EQIP is a voluntary, technical, and financial assistance program designed to help farmers, ranchers, forestland owners, and Tribes with the application of conservation measures. The program focuses strongly on conservation planning, conservation implementation, and solving natural resource concerns, including, but not limited to the following:

• Forestland health improvements
  • Irrigation efficiency
  • Nutrient run-off and/or animal waste management
  • Improving native plant community health
  • Removing manmade instream obstructions for fish passage
  • Reducing soil loss from wind or rain
  • Wildlife habitat

In most instances, program participants can expect to pay roughly half of the costs associated with implementation of the conservation measures or practices.

There are various fund pools available to assist producers in specific circumstance, such as the WaterSmart Program, energy initiatives, National Air Quality Initiatives, urban agriculture, aquatic wildlife, terrestrial wildlife, forestry, irrigation, riparian buffers, beginning farmer and rancher, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. For detailed information on these fund pools and others, visit NRCS-WA EQIP webpage here.

Each applicant must establish themselves as a USDA customer and obtain all Farm Service Agency (FSA) eligibility requirements by November 18, 2022. Please note, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) determination takes an average three weeks to be processed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is highly recommended that applicants submit their completed AGI form to FSA several weeks prior to the FSA eligibility determination deadline of November 18, 2022. Submitting your AGI form to FSA on the last day of the application period will result in your AGI eligibility not being met by the deadline for Fiscal Year 2023.

Although applications are accepted on a year-round basis, eligible applicants interested in EQIP Classic must first submit their EQIP Application to their local service center by Oct. 13, 2022, and then submit all of the following eligibility determinations to FSA by Nov. 18, 2022:

• Highly Erodible Lands and Wetland Determination (AD 1026)
  • Adjusted Gross Income Form (CCC 941)
  • Farm and Track Eligibility determination
  • Farm Operating Plan (CCC 902)

For more information on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Classic in Washington, click here.