NRCS in Missouri will accept applications until Aug. 1, 2023, for the EQIP Climate Smart Agriculture – Native Forage Initiative. Applications submitted prior to this date will be assessed and ranked as soon as the applicant has made treatment decisions through a conservation plan.
Based on fund availability, applications that meet a minimum threshold will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW. Application assessments below the minimum threshold will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.
The Native Forages Initiative is for producers interested in addressing resource concerns associated with managing moisture and drought susceptibility, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration by converting non-native forages to native forages for haying or grazing or converting cropland to native forages for haying or grazing. The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering a $100 per acre Sign-up Incentive Payment in coordination with this initiative on eligible areas.