The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns.
EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:
- Improved water and air quality;
- Conserved ground and surface water;
- Increased soil health ;
- Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
- Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
- Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.
Addressing these resource concerns reduces contamination from agricultural sources including animal feeding operations and crop fields. Efficient use of nutrients can reduce input costs and reduce nonpoint source pollution. Improved soil health helps mitigate against weather volatility, including drought resiliency.
How It Works
NRCS works one-on-one with producers 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. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP. Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.
Conservation at Work Videos
Watch how farmers and ranchers across the country are implementing EQIP practices and other conservation activities in our Conservation at Work video series. For example, see how producers are using the nutrient management conservation practice to improve water quality by more effectively using nutrients.
How To Get Started
The first step is to contact your local NRCS office. An NRCS conservation planner will schedule a visit to your property. They will walk the land with you to discuss your goals and review any resource concerns. Following the site visit, the conservation planner will develop a conservation plan that includes a variety of conservation practices or activities to address the resource concerns and management goals discussed.
Applications for NRCS conservation programs are accepted on a continuous basis; however, customers should apply by state-specific ranking dates to be considered for the current funding cycle.
- Find application ranking dates for your state
- See payment schedules for your state
- See application
Fact Sheets
EQIP Practices available in Michigan and Payment Schedule
Related Pages
CPAs, DIAs, and CEMAs
Learn about Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs).
Applications and Forms
If you’re interested in applying for NRCS conservation programs, contact your local NRCS office. To apply, you’ll have to complete an application as well as have other forms on file.
EQIP Initiatives
Regenerative Pilot Program
Regenerative Agriculture is a conservation management approach that emphasizes natural resources through improved soil health, water management, and natural vitality.
In December 2025, NRCS launched the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program, a farmer first, outcomes-based approach to conservation designed to return the agency to its core mission – Keeping Working Lands in Working Hands. Financial assistance for implementing regenerative agricultural practices like cover crops, conservation tillage, and prescribed grazing, is available through EQIP as well as the Conservation Stewardship Program.
High Tunnels
A High Tunnel System, commonly called a “hoop house,” is eligible for financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
High tunnels protect plants from severe weather and allow farmers to extend their growing seasons – growing earlier into the spring, later into the fall, and sometimes, year-round. High tunnels are a popular practice in Michigan in both urban and rural settings.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
NRCS, through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, targets watersheds that are expected to have the greatest impacts on improving water quality.
In Michigan, targeted funding to protect water quality in the Great Lakes is available in the Saginaw Bay and the Western Lake Erie Basin regions. The funding available through EQIP, is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Organic Initiative
The National Organic Initiative provides technical and financial assistance for organic farmers and ranchers, or those interested in transitioning to organic.
NRCS can help organic producers improve their operations or help producers transition to organic using a conservation plan tailored to their needs. Organic producers may apply to either EQIP or EQIP’s Organic Initiative. The EQIP Organic Initiative has a smaller ranking pool, and cap on funding.
Conservation Innovation Grants
Conservation Innovation Grants is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.
Conservation Innovation Grants provide funding for projects that develop new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. Proposals compete on a national basis through either CIG Classic or CIG On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials funding.
Justine Reid - Michigan EQIP Coordinator
Phone: (517) 324-5278
email: justine.reid@usda.gov
Ready to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.