Wallaces Farmer

USDA sets March 20 application cutoff for CSP and EQIP conservation program renewals.

Rod Swoboda

February 28, 2020

1 Min Read
field with crop residue during winter
DEADLINE: March 20 is the cutoff for Iowa farmers interested in signing up for EQIP for fiscal year 2020 and for CSP 2015-1 contract holders to renew their contracts. Farm Progress

Iowa farmers interested in treating natural resource concerns on their land have until March 20 to be considered for priority funding through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program for fiscal year 2020. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office to apply.  

EQIP provides conservation planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, nutrient management, manure management facilities and pasture management. One of USDA’s most popular conservation programs, EQIP is offered through a continuous sign-up, but NRCS periodically makes application selections as funding allows. In fiscal year 2019, NRCS obligated a record $36.6 million in EQIP financial assistance to Iowa farmers. 

The March 20 application sign-up cutoff includes EQIP initiatives, such as the National Water Quality Initiative, Mississippi River Basin Health Watersheds Initiative, Organic Initiative, High Tunnel Initiative and On-Farm Energy Initiative. 

Conservation Stewardship renewal 

USDA also announced a March 20 application cutoff for Iowa private landowners interested in renewing their expiring 2014-1, 2015-1 or 2016-1 Conservation Stewardship Program contracts. For 2014-1 CSP contract holders, only those who extended their contracts for one year in 2019 will be eligible for renewal. 

Through CSP, NRCS helps private landowners implement conservation practices to help ensure sustainability of their entire operation. Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring May 14 can renew their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their land. 

NRCS will mail contract renewal notification letters to all participants whose contracts expire in 2020, with instructions on how to apply for renewal. For more information on conservation planning and programs to help treat natural resource issues on your land, visit ia.nrcs.usda.gov or a local USDA Service Center. 

 

 

 

About the Author(s)

Rod Swoboda

Rod Swoboda is a former editor of Wallaces Farmer and is now retired.

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