The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas is announcing first-round funding signup for Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC), a new option available through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).EQIP-CIC expands resource benefits for Texas producers through incentive conservation practices such as wildlife management, cover crops, nutrient management, conservation crop rotations, and prescribed grazing. Additionally, EQIP-CIC allows producers to target priority resource concerns on their property by offering incentive payments for a fiive-year contract without needing to enroll the entire operation into the program.EQIP-CIC is designed to be a stepping-stone between EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program,