EQIP delivers 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, and mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

How It Works

This voluntary conservation programs helps producers make conservation work for them.  Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations.

Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices.  Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations.  Through EQIP, you can voluntarily implement conservation practices, and NRCS co-invests in these practices with you.

Benefits

Some of these benefits include:

• Reduction of contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
• Efficient utilization of nutrients, reducing input costs and reduction in nonpoint source pollution.
• Increased soil health to help mitigate against increasing weather volatility and improved drought resiliency.

New Jersey NRCS FY 27 EQIP Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey announced a first signup date of Sept. 18, 2026 for key conservation programs. 

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns. NRCS works one-on-one with farmers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. 

Producers are also encouraged to participate in the new Regenerative Pilot Program through EQIP. Regenerative Agriculture is a conservation management approach that emphasizes natural resources through improved soil health, water management, and natural vitality for the productivity and prosperity of American agriculture and communities. This pilot program addresses whole-farm resource concerns through support for voluntary regenerative agriculture conservation plans.

EQIP Priorities

Targeted EQIP financial assistance is available through several programmatic and landscape conservation priorities.

Beginning Farmer

The primary focus of this funding pool is to assist beginning farmers with addressing resource concerns on their operations. 

Socially Disadvantaged Producers

The primary focus of this funding pool is to assist socially disadvantaged producers with addressing resource concerns on their operations. 

Working Lands for Wildlife

The Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative (WLFW) focuses on combating the decline of wildlife species whose decline can be reversed. Each state targets habitat improvements for selected species to help reverse the species decline and benefit other species with similar habitat needs as well. New Jersey NRCS works in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies and organizations to select target species for WLFW. 

National Water Quality Initiative

NRCS will help producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces in the Upper Cohansey River and Upper Salem River Watersheds to address documented phosphorus, bacteria, and sediment impairments which may be caused by soil erosion, exposed soil, and lack of riparian buffers and filter strips.

Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program

This pilot program addresses whole-farm resource concerns through support for voluntary regenerative agriculture conservation plans. It also puts American farmers first as a part of the solution to Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) by supporting access to American-grown whole foods, critical to addressing the chronic disease crisis nationwide.

Local Priorities set by Local Work Groups

Resource priorities are identified by the respective Local Work Group. Typically, through feedback sessions, the LWG has established the following resource concerns as a priority for New Jersey: Soils Erosion, Water Quality and Soil Health.