The 2018 Farm Bill was enacted on December 20, 2018. The Farm Bill continues its strong support for America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards through a variety of safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs. NRCS is charged with providing conservation technical and financial assistance to forest and agricultural landowners for conservation-related activities and practices.
Click each heading below to learn more about our programs.

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) provides farmers, homesteaders, and forestland owners with the knowledge and tools they need to conserve, maintain, and restore the natural resources on their lands and improve the health of their operations for the future.
NRCS offers this assistance at no cost to the landowners we serve. Our goal is to give our customers personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to help them make informed decisions.
If a landowner chooses to take the next step towards improving their property and/or operations, we can work with them to develop a conservation plan, with suggested conservation practices that can help them reach their production and conservation goals.
Landowners can also choose to apply for financial assistance to get help installing the conservation practices outlined in their conservation plan.
NRCS offers this assistance at no cost to the landowners we serve. Our goal is to give our customers personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to help them make informed decisions.
If a landowner chooses to take the next step towards improving their property and/or operations, we can work with them to develop a conservation plan, with suggested conservation practices that can help them reach their production and conservation goals.
Landowners can also choose to apply for financial assistance to get help installing the conservation practices outlined in their conservation plan.

Conservation Planning
A conservation plan identifies the customer’s conservation objectives and assesses the natural resources issues on that customer’s land related to soil, water, animals, plants, air, energy, and human interaction.
A conservation plan includes tools and resources customized specifically for each customer, like a land use map, soils information, inventory of resources, schedule of recommended conservation activities, and maintenance schedules — all based on the producer’s goals and the resource needs.
The conservation planning process is a collaboration between the conservation planner and the customer. Conservation planners are there every step of the way to assist customers with implementation as needed.
A conservation plan identifies the customer’s conservation objectives and assesses the natural resources issues on that customer’s land related to soil, water, animals, plants, air, energy, and human interaction.
A conservation plan includes tools and resources customized specifically for each customer, like a land use map, soils information, inventory of resources, schedule of recommended conservation activities, and maintenance schedules — all based on the producer’s goals and the resource needs.
The conservation planning process is a collaboration between the conservation planner and the customer. Conservation planners are there every step of the way to assist customers with implementation as needed.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers, homesteaders, and forest landowners to address on-site natural resource concerns, such as:
NRCS works one-on-one with customers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve site specific natural resource concerns.
Customers implement activities outlined in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural or forestland conditions.
EQIP helps customers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for certain activities may be available through EQIP.
Benefits
Some of these benefits include:
EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers, homesteaders, and forest landowners to address on-site natural resource concerns, such as:
- Improved water and air quality;
- Conserved ground and surface water;
- Improved plant, crop, and forest productivity;
- Increased soil health;
- Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
- Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
- Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.
NRCS works one-on-one with customers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve site specific natural resource concerns.
Customers implement activities outlined in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural or forestland conditions.
EQIP helps customers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for certain activities may be available through EQIP.
Benefits
Some of these benefits include:
- Improved soil health, which mitigates against increasing weather volatility, improves drought resiliency, and can positively affect productivity
- Improved forest management and enhanced wildlife activities
- Reforestation and carbon sequestration
- Forest Management Planning
- Sustainable Timber Harvesting
- Reforestation
- High Tunnel Initiative
- Soil Health
- Cropland
- Grazing and Livestock
- Pollinator Planting
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Please reach out if you'd like to discuss
your property or set up a site visit.
your property or set up a site visit.
|
Misa.Cady@usda.gov
Kelly.Sippl@usda.gov |
phone |
906-251-3070
906-251-3064 |
address |
780 Commerce Drive
Suite C Marquette, MI 49855 |