Environmental Quality Incentives Program
General Program Description
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program process in Arkansas was derived
from a local led and partners effort. With the help of partners and locally led
groups the Natural Resources Conservation Service identified eight funding
categories. EQIP will also give additional attention to groundwater decline
problems, and increased assistance for forestry landowners.
Applications for EQIP are taken at a local USDA Field Service Centers. The
2026 sign up is currently going on. However, applications are accepted at
anytime. NRCS, with the assistance from the farmer/rancher, will determine
individual environmental ranking points, according to the NRCS Application
Ranking Tool (AERT).
All applications will be entered into Protracts at the local offices. At the
end of the ranking period, the NRCS State Office will then select a preapproved
applications for funding. Anyone selected for funding will need to work closely
with NRCS to develop a contract or agreement within strict time frames that
will be provided upon notice of selection.
Local and Statewide Funding
The local categories are intended to focus on the primary resource issues in
a localized area, as identified by the locally-led conservation workgroup
representatives for each county. The statewide categories are designed to
address the resource concerns of water quality issues related to animal manure
management and sedimentation, improved management of irrigation water and
reduction in ground water use, reduction of erosion and improvement of wildlife
habitat.
All applications will be evaluated for funding based on a state developed
procedure to optimize environmental benefits. Applications ranking highest in
a funding category will be funded subject to availability of program funds.
Primary Issues Addressed by EQIP
EQIP
continues to address those primary resource concerns that were identified by
locally led groups. These are:
- Wildlife Habitat concerns
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality , sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality, sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quantity, irrigation(especially groundwater decline)
- Soil Quality, erosion
- Plant Health, forest
- Water Quality, forests
- Plant Health, grazing land
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program process in Arkansas was derived
from a local led and partners effort. With the help of partners and locally led
groups the Natural Resources Conservation Service identified eight funding
categories. EQIP will also give additional attention to groundwater decline
problems, and increased assistance for forestry landowners.
Applications for EQIP are taken at a local USDA Field Service Centers. The
2026 sign up is currently going on. However, applications are accepted at
anytime. NRCS, with the assistance from the farmer/rancher, will determine
individual environmental ranking points, according to the NRCS Application
Ranking Tool (AERT).
All applications will be entered into Protracts at the local offices. At the
end of the ranking period, the NRCS State Office will then select a preapproved
applications for funding. Anyone selected for funding will need to work closely
with NRCS to develop a contract or agreement within strict time frames that
will be provided upon notice of selection.
Local and Statewide Funding
The local categories are intended to focus on the primary resource issues in
a localized area, as identified by the locally-led conservation workgroup
representatives for each county. The statewide categories are designed to
address the resource concerns of water quality issues related to animal manure
management and sedimentation, improved management of irrigation water and
reduction in ground water use, reduction of erosion and improvement of wildlife
habitat.
All applications will be evaluated for funding based on a state developed
procedure to optimize environmental benefits. Applications ranking highest in
a funding category will be funded subject to availability of program funds.
Primary Issues Addressed by EQIP
EQIP
continues to address those primary resource concerns that were identified by
locally led groups. These are:
- Wildlife Habitat concerns
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality , sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quality, animal waste; Water Quality, sediment, including erosion control
- Water Quantity, irrigation(especially groundwater decline)
- Soil Quality, erosion
- Plant Health, forest
- Water Quality, forests
- Plant Health, grazing land
What is going on in Arkansas NRCS?
These links will take you to the Arkansas NRCS Newsletter.
1st quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd322407&ext=pdf
2nd quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd372410&ext=pdf
1st quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd322407&ext=pdf
2nd quarter newsletter
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd372410&ext=pdf
Conservation Stewardship Program
Program Description The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by:
How CSP Works CSP
Encourages land stewards to improve their conservation performance by installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land. NRCS will make CSP available nationwide on a continuous application basis.
The State Conservationist, in consultation with the State Technical Committee and local work groups, will focus program impacts on natural resources that are of specific concern for a State, or the specific geographic areas within a State. Applications will be evaluated relative to other applications addressing similar priority resource concerns to facilitate a competitive ranking process among applicants within a State who face similar resource challenges.
The entire operation must be enrolled and must include all eligible land operated substantially separate that will be under the applicant's control for the term of the proposed contract.
CSP offers participants two possible types of payments:
- Undertaking additional conservation activities; and
- Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities.
How CSP Works CSP
Encourages land stewards to improve their conservation performance by installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land. NRCS will make CSP available nationwide on a continuous application basis.
The State Conservationist, in consultation with the State Technical Committee and local work groups, will focus program impacts on natural resources that are of specific concern for a State, or the specific geographic areas within a State. Applications will be evaluated relative to other applications addressing similar priority resource concerns to facilitate a competitive ranking process among applicants within a State who face similar resource challenges.
The entire operation must be enrolled and must include all eligible land operated substantially separate that will be under the applicant's control for the term of the proposed contract.
CSP offers participants two possible types of payments:
- Annual payment for installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities
- Supplemental payment for the adoption of resource-conserving crop rotations
- Cropland
- Grassland
- Prairie Land
- Improved Pastureland
- Rangeland
- Nonindustrial Private Forest Lands
- Agricultural Land Under the Jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe
- And other Private Agricultural Land (including Cropped Woodland, Marshes, and Agricultural Land used for the Production of Livestock) on which Resource Concerns Related to Agricultural Production Could be Addressed.
