Kalee Olson, policy associate, [email protected], or [email protected]
LYONS, NEBRASKA – Nebraska producers interested in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) or Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) have a unique opportunity to apply through a new process called ACT NOW.
“Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Nebraska has received additional funding to support CSP and EQIP,” said Kalee Olson, policy associate for the Center for Rural Affairs. “ACT NOW is one way NRCS is working to ensure this support makes its way to farmers and ranchers as efficiently as possible.”
Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), ACT NOW provides an expedited pathway to additional program funding. The deadline to apply is March 1.
CSP and EQIP provide financial and technical assistance to producers to implement conservation practices on working lands. Typically, contracts are processed and awarded in batches, often only once or twice per year. Under ACT NOW, applications will be processed in the order they are received and awarded on an ongoing basis.
Eligible applications must target select practices, such as cover crops, prescribed grazing, and nutrient management, and score higher than a predetermined ranking threshold to be pre-approved.
“Historically, CSP and EQIP have been underfunded and oversubscribed, leaving many producers interested in implementing conservation practices without support,” Olson said. “ACT NOW is designed to help more farmers and ranchers access conservation programs more efficiently.”
Producers interested in applying for CSP or EQIP under ACT NOW should contact their local NRCS as soon as possible. A list of local offices can be found at nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center.
