‘Act Now’ to get assistance quickly
2025January 2025
By Andrea Cox
Conservation Coordinator, Washington Association of Wheat Growers

On Nov. 7, the Natural Resources Conservation Services in Washington (NRCS-WA) implemented the Act Now policy. Through this program, NRCS-WA can quickly approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a state-determined, minimum threshold ranking score. Applications are ranked according to the needs of applicants, local resource concerns, and the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide. Growers can potentially begin conservation projects sooner versus waiting through the traditional application process.
Applications that will be considered are those for eligible practices specific to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) renewals and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Growers are not required to apply separately to Act Now.
Eligible practices differ by state. Eligible applications for the NRCS-WA EQIP FY 2025 will be placed in the following ranking pools:
- High Tunnel/Low Tunnel Systems-$750,000 funds available (60-point minimum ranking score).
- Conservation Planning Activities and Design and Implementation Activities and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities-$250,000 available (20-point minimum ranking score).
- Statewide Disaster Recovery-$500,000 available (30-point minimum ranking score) that encompasses any range, forest, or pasture that was burnt or impacted by flood events and includes fence replacement, seeding, or replanting necessary due to losses from disasters last year.
- North Central Team Local Working Group’s Forestry Initiative-$150,000 available (30-point minimum ranking score) for forest landowners in Douglas, Chelan or Okanogan counties that want to do forest thinning, woody slash treatment, fuel breaks, tree planting, forest buffers, or wildlife habitat plantings.
- Snake River Team Local Working Group’s Forestry Initiative-$1 million (30-point minimum ranking score) that includes forest thinning, wood slash treatment, fuel breaks, tree planting, forest buffers, or wildlife plantings in Asotin, Garfield, Columbia, Walla Walla, and Franklin counties.
- Snake River Team Local Working Group’s Nutrient Management Initiative-$2 million available (30-point minimum ranking score) that utilizes only practice code 590, nutrient management for growers who are interested in better nutrient management.
- Northeast Team Local Working Group’s Forest Health, Forest Health and Wildfire-$1.3 million available (30-point minimum ranking score) that focuses largely on fire mitigation, using forestry practices including fuel break, woody residue treatment, tree thinning and tree planting, and wildlife habitat similar to the North Central and Snake River teams.
- West Palouse Team Local Working Group’s Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience-$978,000 available (30-point minimum ranking score). This is similar to the Northeast, North Central and Snake River teams.
- Southwest Team Local Working Group’s Forestry Initiative-$750,000 available (30-point minimum ranking score). This is similar to the above listed forestry initiatives.
As mentioned, numerous practices are being utilized by growers and are region-specific. For example, the Snake River team utilizes practice code 217, soil and source testing for nutrient management to look at soil health through soil testing and is pairing this with the 590 nutrient management practice.
Applications will be pre-approved, if they meet the minimum ranking threshold score, until funds run out. Applications will then move forward to the contracting process at local NRCS field offices. Field office staff have 45 calendar days from the date of pre-approval to complete obligation. Once the Act Now funding limit has been reached, applications can be rolled over into the next funding cycle or considered in other ranking pools.
To get started, contact your local NRCS office, where an NRCS conservation planner will plan a visit to your property. Following the visit and discussion regarding your goals and any resource concerns, the conservation planner will develop and propose a conservation plan that includes conservation practices or activities to address management goals and resource concerns.