[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 10]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1466.20]

[Page 667]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XIV--COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1466_ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart B_Contracts and Payments
 
Sec.  1466.20  Application for contracts and selecting offers from producers.


    (a) Any producer who has eligible land may submit an application for 
participation in the EQIP. Applications are accepted throughout the 
year. Producers who are members of a joint operation may file a single 
application for the joint operation.
    (b) The State Conservationist or Designated Conservationist with 
advice from the State Technical Committee or Local Work Groups will 
develop a ranking process to prioritize applications for funding which 
address priority natural resource concerns. The State Conservationist or 
Designated Conservationist will periodically select for funding the 
highest ranked applications based on applicant eligibility and the NRCS 
ranking process. The State Conservationist or Designated Conservationist 
will rank all applications according to the following factors:
    (1) The degree of cost-effectiveness of the proposed conservation 
practices,
    (2) The magnitude of the environmental benefits resulting from the 
treatment of National priorities and the priority natural resource 
concerns reflecting the level of performance of a conservation practice,
    (3) Treatment of multiple resource concerns,
    (4) Use of conservation practices that provide environmental 
enhancements for a longer period of time,
    (5) Compliance with Federal, state, local or tribal regulatory 
requirements concerning soil, water and air quality; wildlife habitat; 
and ground and surface water conservation, and
    (6) Other locally defined pertinent factors, such as the location of 
the conservation practice, the extent of natural resource degradation, 
and the degree of cooperation by local producers to achieve 
environmental improvements.
    (c) If the State Conservationist determines that the environmental 
values of two or more applications for cost-share payments or incentive 
payments are comparable, the State Conservationist will not assign a 
higher priority to the application solely because it would present the 
least cost to the program.
    (d) The ranking will not give preferential treatment to applications 
based on size of the operation.
    (e) The ranking will determine which applications will be awarded 
contracts. The approving authority for EQIP contracts will be the State 
Conservationist or designee except the approving authority for any EQIP 
contract greater than $100,000 is the NRCS Regional Conservationist.
    (f) The State Conservationist will make all information regarding 
priority resources concerns, how the EQIP program is implemented in the 
state, and the cost-list of eligible practices available to the public.