Helping the Great Lakes States' agricultural and forest producers protect natural resources as one of the nation's most diverse agricultural economies.
The district and NRCS aim to ensure that every USDA-NRCS client succeeds in diverse governmental environments and to foster inclusion in agency programs/services by aligning institutional equity into practices and operations.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
This program provides technical and financial assistance to producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as:
Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with one-on-one help and financial assistance to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while improving agricultural operations.
Who is Eligible?
Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who own or rent agricultural land are eligible. EQIP assistance can be used on all types of agricultural operations, including:
This program provides technical and financial assistance to producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as:
- improved water and air quality
- conserved ground and surface water
- increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation
- improved or created wildlife habitat
- mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with one-on-one help and financial assistance to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while improving agricultural operations.
Who is Eligible?
Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who own or rent agricultural land are eligible. EQIP assistance can be used on all types of agricultural operations, including:
- Conventional and organic
- Specialty crops and commodity crops
- Forestry and wildlife
- Historically underserved farmers* (*Increased and advance payments available for historically underserved producers (beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and military veterans.)
- Livestock operations
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
This program offers technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest producers take their conservation efforts to the next level. The program is designed to compensate agricultural and forest producers who agree to increase their level of conservation by adopting additional conservation activities and maintaining their baseline level of conservation. CSP is for producers who are passionate about conservation and environmental stewardship.
Benefits
CSP may provide many benefits, including increased crop productivity, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP also encourages adoption of new technologies and management techniques. For example, CSP can help you:
- Schedule timely planting and management of cover crops
- Develop a grazing plan that will improve your forage base
- Implement no-till to reduce erosion
- Manage forested areas in a way that benefits wildlife habitat
REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (RCPP)
A partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
- RCPP Classic: projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities, in collaboration with project partners
- RCPP Grants: the lead partner must work directly with agricultural producers to support the development of new conservation structures and approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic
- Land management/land improvement/restoration practices
- Land rentals
- Entity-held easements
- United States-held easements
- Public works/watersheds
AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM (ACEP)
ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps American Indian tribes, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit nonagricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetland Reserve Easements component, NRCS helps to restore, protect, and enhance enrolled wetlands.
Benefits
ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps American Indian tribes, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit nonagricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetland Reserve Easements component, NRCS helps to restore, protect, and enhance enrolled wetlands.
Benefits
- Keeps agricultural land in family hands
- Provides a means to remove marginal cropland from production
- Provides income
- Protects our nation’s best agricultural soils or grasslands
- Preserves wildlife habitat and protects biodiversity, including for threatened and endangered species
- Protects and restores wetlands and improves water quality
- Sequesters carbon and helps reduce greenhouse gases.
How to Get Assistance
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