Illinois EQIP funding with Act Now

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Illinois State Conservationist Tammy Willis announced a funding opportunity for Environmental Quality Incentives Program Landscape Conservation Initiatives and Urban Ag using Act Now authority.

Through Act Now, NRCS can quickly fund a ranked application when it meets or exceeds a determined minimum ranking score and continue to fund applications while funds are available.

The Act Now process is available for the five ranking pools whose purpose is to use a local or regional process to address conservation goals and make the most impact. Urban Ag meets the same objective and is also being offered with the Act Now process.

The ranking pools and the parts of Illinois they cover are:

• Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative — available in three watersheds: Clinton Lake in DeWitt, McLean and Piatt counties; Upper Macoupin Creek in Macoupin County; and Vermilion Headwaters in Ford, Iroquois, Livingston and McLean counties.

• National Water Quality Initiative — available in three watersheds: Friends Creek in DeWitt, Macon and Piatt counties; Money Creek in McLean County; and Panther Creek in Sangamon County.

• Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership — available in designated areas in Alexander, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope and Union counties.

• Northern Bobwhite — available in 70 counties in southern and western Illinois.

• Monarch Butterflies — available in all Illinois counties.

• Urban Ag — available in urban areas in all Illinois counties.

The Mississippi and National initiative ranking pools have a water quality focus and conservation practices identified in the local watershed plans are available for funding.

The Joint Chiefs’ partnership ranking pool targets upland oak ecosystem restoration through forest stand improvement and invasive plant treatments.

The Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterflies pools are to establish or improve habitat for these species. Lastly, the Urban Ag pool is for agricultural land that is in urban or incorporated areas.

Program applications are accepted on a continuous basis; however, EQIP Act Now applications will be accepted through May 30.

Applications assessed and ranked by Feb. 13 will be funded if above the established ranking score. Funding decisions will be made monthly until June or when funds are no longer available.

Producers who have an application on file with your NRCS field office should contact the office if you are interested in competing for any of these EQIP ranking pools.

For information on EQIP or other NRCS programs, contact the local NRCS field office or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/il.