Publisher's Synopsis
Agricultural production can have harmful effects on natural resources, such as when sediment, fertilizer, and animal waste run off into the nation's waterways. Conservation practices, such as installing structures to store animal waste or changing the amount of fertilizer applied to cropland, can help mitigate these effects. NRCS's EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to landowners who voluntarily implement conservation practices on agricultural land or certain forestlands. The Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, states that one purpose of EQIP is to optimize environmental benefits. GAO was asked to review whether EQIP funds are targeted where they will deliver the greatest environmental benefit. This report examines the distribution of EQIP obligations for fiscal years 2009 through 2015 and the extent to which EQIP processes for allocating funding and selecting applications are sufficient to optimize environmental benefits. GAO reviewed NRCS documents, analyzed data for fiscal years 2009 through 2015 (the most recent data available), and interviewed NRCS officials.
