Groups can encourage producers to submit applications by April 1, 2022. Vermont NRCS Announces EQIP Conservation Incentive Contracts. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Vermont announced that April 1, 2022 will be the first-round ranking date for Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC), a new option available through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). EQIP incentive contracts can be a stepping stone for producers who want to transition from EQIP classic to Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts. Through EQIP, NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to install conservation practices that reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, improve soil health, improve water and air quality and create wildlife habitat. The following three land uses and associated resource concerns will be prioritized in Vermont through EQIP CIC: Forestland: Degraded Plant Condition; Terrestrial Habitat; Pest Pressure; Cropland: Field Sediment, Nutrient, and Pathogen Loss; Soil Quality Limitations; Wind and Water Erosion; Grazing: Degraded Plant Condition; Livestock Production Limitation; Concentrated Erosion.