USDA-NRCS in South Carolina Announces FY26 Deadline for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

USDA-NRCS in South Carolina Announces FY26 Deadline for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

State Conservationist (Acting), Kellee Melton, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - South Carolina has announced that the application batching deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is October 3, 2025.

Applications for EQIP and CSP are accepted on a year-round basis, but application evaluations only take place during announced batching periods. October 3, 2025, is the final date by which a producer or landowner must submit a signed application at their local NRCS office for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding consideration. Applications received after this date will be considered during the next funding cycle.

EQIP is NRCS' flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands by offering technical assistance and financial incentives to implement practices that will improve the quality of the environment on their land. With over 170 practices available, EQIP allows producers to invest in solutions that will deliver benefits such as improved water and air quality, increased soil heath, and improved or created wildlife habitat.

CSP offers technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest producers who are already implementing conservation activities on their land and want to achieve a higher level of environmental stewardship. CSP provides annual payments over a five-year period to strengthen existing conservation efforts, address priority resource concerns, and improve agricultural production.

How to Apply
To be included in this funding batch, interested producers can apply at their local USDA Service Center by submitting a Conservation Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) by October 3, 2025. Application documents are available online at the USDA-NRCS Applications and Forms webpage.

More InformationMore information on USDA conservation programs is available online at https://www.farmers.gov/conservation or https://www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners make critical investments in their operations and local communities by providing the financial and technical assistance needed to harness America's wealth of natural resources to feed and clothe a growing world. Our voluntary, locally driven, science-based conservation solutions are tailored to individual operations - helping hardworking farmers implement proven practices to ensure all of America's farms, ranches, and private lands are economically viable and thriving.

To learn more, visit https://usda.gov