New Funding Available for USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications to its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for funding in Fiscal Year 2023 through March 24, 2023, using funds provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
Gainesville, FL – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications to its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for funding in Fiscal Year 2023 through March 24, 2023, using funds provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). EQIP-IRA applications must include at least one core Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) conservation practice or activity that directly improves soil carbon, reduces nitrogen losses, or reduces, captures, avoids or sequesters carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous emissions associated with agricultural productions. Facilitating practices or activities that are needed to implement the core practice may also be included. An example of a practice available under this program is Tree Planting for Non-Longleaf Pine Species.
Applications for EQIP-IRA will be accepted until March 24, 2023 and are available at your local USDA Service Center or online on our Get Started with NRCS web page. All applicants must have farm records established with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Advance payment options are available for historically underserved producers.
Florida NRCS’ IRA focus for FY23 will include, but is not limited to:
• Improving energy efficiency of stationary equipment and facilities on agriculture operations to reduce energy use.
• Increasing total carbon stored in soils and/or perennial biomass to reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and enhance carbon sequestration.
More on NRCS
NRCS has 34 field offices throughout Florida with teams ready to help landowners with conservation programs. Contact your local NRCS field office for more information. Download an EQIP fact sheet (PDF).
More on IRA
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), provisions of which are designed to help agricultural producers continue to farm and to promote climate-smart agriculture by increasing farmers’ access to conservation services, was signed into law on August 16, 2022.
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