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New Mexico Environmental Quality Incentives ProgramGeneral Program Description
Through participation in EQIP agricultural producers may receive financial and technical assistance in developing and implementing conservation plans which include structural and management practices intended to treat a wide range of natural resource concerns. In New Mexico the program is developed at the local level with input from the people, organizations and government agencies best acquainted with local resource concerns and solutions. Formal recommendations to the local NRCS Designated Conservationist are provided by the Local Work Group (LWG). The LWG is comprised of representatives of government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels, including Tribal governments and special units of government. The LWG is tasked with the responsibility of advising the NRCS Designated Conservationist on various issues related to establishing the EQIP at the local level. Some of these issues include identifying and prioritizing natural resource concerns, recommending eligible practices and payment rates, and developing application ranking criteria. For FY 2009 financial assistance funds will be initially allocated to the local level based on a formula which includes the number of acres of various agricultural land uses (e.g. grazing lands, irrigated cropland, etc.) within each LWG area. Applications are rated using an approved criteria for each land use. The criteria will be slightly different from one LWG area to another. The highest rated applications within each LWG area are selected for contracts. Each state may offer more than one evaluation period each year. All NRCS Field Offices will accept an application at any time of the year. FY 2009 Application Sign-Up Deadline DateA new application deadline date of April 3, 2009 has been set. Anyone who had signed up by the previous deadline of October 17, 2008 is urged to submit a new application, which addresses provisions if the 2009 Farm Bill. Applications which were received by the Oct. 17, 2008 deadline will be considered for funding in FY 2009. The application process can be involved and time consuming. Applicants are strongly encouraged to sign-up earlier rather than later. Submitting an application does not obligate an individual to sign a contract. New!! Organic Initiative Sign-up May 11-29, 2009NRCS is accepting, from May 11 through May 29, 2009, applications from agricultural producers currently certified as organic farmers and those who want to transition to organic farming (crop or livestock). NRCS will be offering financial and technical assistance to successful applicants (selected through a competitive process) through a long term contract. Contracts are limited to a maximum of $80,000 with a $20,000 per year annual payment limitation. Applicants must meet various eligibility requirements including:
For additional information and application forms please contact your local NRCS Field Office. Reimbursement of Expenses Related to Conservation Practice ImplementationSuccessful applicants will be offered a contract which will clearly identify the amount of financial assistance funds obligated to implement the contract. Each conservation practice in the EQIP Plan of Operations will have a pre-determined reimbursement cost per unit, e.g. $25./acre of brush management or $9.00/feet of pipeline. For more details on these costs please refer to the FY 09 NM Payment Schedule. Tribal LandsNew Mexico NRCS recognizes that some segments of our population have been traditionally underserved by Federal programs. Therefore, a certain percentage of the state's fund allocation has been set aside specifically to fund applications received on Tribal lands. The applicant may be an individual or a Tribal government. The ranking criteria is the same for these applications as for applications on non-tribal land. Private - Federal Cooperative Grazing Lands InitiativeThis effort began in FY 2005 and was received very well by ranchers holding Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service allotments. A certain percentage of the state allocation will be dedicated to this effort again in FY 2009. The requirements listed below will be in effect for FY 2009 applications. Other information and criteria have not been finalized. Some of the criteria an applicant must meet in order to be considered are:
Applicants who already have an approved Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP), or who agree to develop a CRMP will receive first consideration for funding. Competition for funding is statewide and applicants are selected for funding based on statewide ranking criteria. The following document requires
Adobe Acrobat. State Watershed InitiativeIn New Mexico, Local Work Groups who have identified a need for additional assistance in addressing high priority resource concerns within a portion of their watershed have been approved to receive funds being held in a funding pool at the state level. The LWG has made a commitment to dedicate a portion of their initial EQIP allocation, which will be matched with funds from the state reserve. This allows NRCS staff at the field office level to potentially develop more contracts to treat these priority resource concerns. Watershed initiatives have been approved in areas serviced by the for the following field offices for FY 2009: Artesia, Aztec, Deming, Estancia, Lovington and Portales. For more information please contact the NRCS field office. EQIP Air QualityIn FY 2009 there is a national initiative to address certain air quality resource concerns. In New Mexico EQIP funds are being targeted in Dona Ana County to address the PM_10 air quality issue. Applications are being accepted now, with a deadline of May 1, 2009. Contact the Las Cruces Field Office (575-522-8775) or the Truth 0r Consequences Field Office (575-894-2212) for details. Historically Underserved Producers (HU)This refers to agricultural producers (individuals, joint operations or entities) who qualify as a Beginning Farmer-Rancher (BFR), a Socially Disadvantaged Farmer-Rancher (SD), Small Farmer-Rancher (SmFR) or Limited Resource Farmer-Rancher (LRFR). An individual, joint operation or entity which self-certifies they meet the criteria for any of the above designations will be eligible to receive a higher financial assistance payment for contracted practices, if selected for a contract. Please contact your local NRCS Field Office for additional details. State Small Farmer-Rancher InitiativeOccasionally agricultural producers with small acreage operations have been unable to compete with larger operations for financial assistance under the EQIP. New Mexico is experimenting with a new initiative, which will set aside a small amount of funds for producers who meet certain acreage and income requirements. Successful applicants will also be limited to $10,000 to $20,000 of financial assistance. Small acreage initiatives have been approved in areas services by the following field offices for FY 2009: Datil, Deming, Las Cruces, Las Vegas Mora, Socorro and Tucumcari. For additional information please contact the NRCS field office. Limited Resource Producers and Beginning Farmers or RanchersApplicants who believe they meet the Limited Resource Producer (LRP) or Beginning Farmer/Rancher (BF/R) criteria may be eligible for higher practice cost-share rates if their application is selected for funding. If you think that you may qualify click here to use our self determination tool. For FY 2009 in New Mexico, a qualified applicant who self-certifies they meet the Limited Resource Producer (LRP) criteria, and is selected for funding, will be eligible for a 90% practice cost-share rate. A qualified applicant who self-certifies they meet the BF/R criteria, and is selected for funding, will be eligible to receive a cost-share rate of 90% for approved practices. Agricultural Water Enhancement ProgramThe Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) replaces the former Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) component of the EQIP. AWEP is also a component of EQIP and expands the concept of GSWC by including issues related to water quality. A national Request for Proposals (RFP) has been published in the Federal Register, with an April 3, 2009 deadline. For more information please click here. Cooperative Conservation Partnership InitiativeCCPI is another national initiative in the 2008 Farm Bill which encourages a partnership approach to implementing EQIP, WHIP and CStP (Conservation Stewardship) A national Request for Proposals (RFP) has been published in the Federal Register, with an April 24, 2009 deadline. For more information please click here. Sign-Up and Application Information
Links to Other Useful Documents for the EQIP ProgramThe following documents require
Adobe Acrobat.
USDA Service Center EForms Web Site - for instructions and information Archive EQIP MapsThe following documents require
Adobe Acrobat. Additional InformationContactMichael Neubeiser Last Modified: 05/28/2009 |
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The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a nationwide voluntary
conservation program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS). The programs major goals are twofold: enhancing agricultural
production and optimizing environmental benefits. 
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