(a) Purposes. (1) The purposes of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are to promote agricultural production, forest management, and environmental quality as compatible goals, and to optimize environmental benefits.

(2) Through EQIP, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to eligible agricultural producers, including nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners and Indian Tribes, to help implement conservation practices that address resource concerns related to organic production; soil, water, and air quality; wildlife habitat; nutrient management associated with crops and livestock; pest management; ground and surface water conservation; irrigation management; drought resiliency measures; adapting to and mitigating against increasing weather volatility; energy conservation; and related resource concerns.

(3) EQIP's financial and technical assistance helps:

(i) Producers comply with environmental regulations and enhance agricultural and forested lands in a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial manner; and

(ii) To the maximum extent practicable, avoid the need for resource and regulatory programs.

(4) The purposes of EQIP are achieved by planning and implementing conservation practices on eligible land to address identified, new, or expected resource concerns, including such resource concerns related to lands enrolled under a Conservation Reserve Program contract that are transitioning into production as specified in 16 U.S.C. 3835(f).

(b) Availability. EQIP is available in any of the 50 States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(c) Applicability. Each contract enrolled into EQIP, is subject to the regulations in effect on the date it is enrolled.