USDA is establishing a second national deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for fiscal year 2026 assistance in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program through NRCS. The new deadline for entities to apply is May 29. NRCS is providing up to $200 million in funding for the application period for agricultural land easements.
“At NRCS, we are putting Farmers First by actively working to preserve and protect America’s agricultural land for future generations,” says NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt. “Through voluntary conservation easements, and strategic partnerships, we are committed to slowing the loss of productive farmland and keeping working lands in the hands of farmers and ranchers.”
NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis. It uses application cutoff periods to assess and rank applications based on their potential conservation impact. A complete Agricultural Land Easement application requires the following:
- Completed form NRCS-CPA-41A, “Parcel Sheet for Entity Application for an Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) Agreement”
- Proof of ownership,
- Written pending offer,
- Map or geospatial boundary of proposed easement (NRCS provides an online tool to help you create this map with a geospatial boundary), and
- Documented access to the easement.
Landowners can complete FSA-related eligibility paperwork with their local Farm Service Agency county office as soon as possible.
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