USDA Conservation Programs
While there are a variety of USDA programs available to assist
people with their conservation needs, the following primarily
financial assistance programs are the principal programs available.
Locally Led Conservation groups are encouraged to contact the
State Offices of the appropriate agency for more specific information
about each program.
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The purpose of the program is to assist land-users, communities, units of state and local government, and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing conservation systems. The purpose of the conservation systems are to reduce erosion, improve soil and water quality, improve and conserve wetlands, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, improve air quality, improve pasture and range condition, reduce upstream flooding, and improve woodlands.
Objectives of the program are to:
- Assist individual landusers, communities, conservation districts, and other units of State and local government and Federal agencies to meet their goals for resource stewardship and assist individuals to comply with State and local requirements. NRCS assistance to individuals is provided through conservation districts in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the Secretary of Agriculture, the governor of the state, and the conservation district. Assistance is provided to land users voluntarily applying conservation and to those who must comply with local or State laws and regulations.
- Assist agricultural producers to comply with the highly erodible land (HEL) and wetland (Swampbuster) provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act as amended by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et. seq.) and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and wetlands requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. NRCS makes HEL and wetland determinations and helps land users develop and implement conservation plans to comply with the law.
- Provide technical assistance to participants in USDA cost-share and conservation incentive programs. (Assistance is funded on a reimbursable basis from the CCC.)
- Collect, analyze, interpret, display, and disseminate information about the condition and trends of the Nation’s soil and other natural resources so that people can make good decisions about resource use and about public policies for resource conservation.
- Develop effective science-based technologies for natural resource assessment, management, and conservation.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Conservation Farm Option (CFO)
Contact: USDA, Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Conservation Farm Option is a pilot program for producers of wheat, feed grains, cotton, and rice. The program's purposes include conservation of soil, water, and related resources, water quality protection and improvement, wetland restoration, protection and creation, wildlife habitat development and protection, or other similar conservation purposes. Eligibility is limited to owners and producers who have contract acreage enrolled in the Agricultural Market Transition Act program, i.e. production flexibility contracts. The CFO is a voluntary program. Participants are required to develop and implement a conservation farm plan. The plan becomes part of the CFO contract which covers a ten year period. CFO is not restricted as to what measures may be included in the conservation plan, so long as they provide environmental benefits. During the contract period the owner or producer (1.) receives annual payments for implementing the CFO contract and (2.) agrees to forgo payments under the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program in exchange for one consolidated payment.
Conservation of Private Grazing Land Initiative (CPGL)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Conservation of Private Grazing Land initiative will ensure
that technical, educational, and related assistance is provided
to those who own private grazing lands. It is not a cost share
program. This technical assistance will offer opportunities for:
better grazing land management; protecting soil from erosive wind
and water; using more energy-efficient ways to produce food and
fiber; conserving water; providing habitat for wildlife; sustaining
forage and grazing plants; using plants to sequester greenhouse
gases and increase soil organic matter; and using grazing lands
as a source of biomass energy and raw materials for industrial
products.
More information can be found at the Grazing Lands Technology Institute.
Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and
Ranchers
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1900 (Public Law 101-624) requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Administration of the program was transferred to the Natural Resources Conservation Agency from the Farm Service Agency beginning in fiscal year 1997.
The overall goal of the program is to increase the number of small or limited resource and minority producers and directly improve the farm income of these producers. Objectives are to make grants and enter into agreements with community-based organizations and educational institutions to provide outreach and technical assistance.
Conservation Plant Material Centers
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The purpose of the program is to provide native plants that can help solve natural resource problems. Beneficial uses for which plant material may be developed include biomass production, carbon sequestration, erosion reduction, wetland restoration, water quality improvement, streambank and riparian area protection, coastal dune stabilization, and other special conservation treatment needs. Scientists at the Plant Materials Centers seek out plants that show promise for meeting an identified conservation need and test their performance. After species are proven, they are released to the private sector for commercial production. The work at the 26 centers is carried out cooperatively with state and Federal agencies, commercial businesses, and seed and nursery associations.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Contact: USDA, Farm Service Agency
The Conservation Reserve Program reduces soil erosion, protects the Nation's ability to produce food and fiber, reduces sedimentation in streams and lakes, improves water quality, establishes wildlife habitat, and enhances forest and wetland resources. It encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filterstrips, or riparian buffers. Farmers receive an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract. Cost sharing is provided to establish the vegetative cover practices. For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. The program provides assistance to farmers and ranchers in complying with Federal, State, and tribal environmental laws, and encourages environmental enhancement. The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation. The purposes of the program are achieved through the implementation of a conservation plan which includes structural, vegetative, and land management practices on eligible land. Five- to ten-year contracts are made with eligible producers. Cost-share payments may be made to implement one or more eligible structural or vegetative practices, such as animal waste management facilities, terraces, filter strips, tree planting, and permanent wildlife habitat. Incentive payments can be made to implement one or more land management practices, such as nutrient management, pest management, and grazing land management.
Fifty percent of the funding available for the program will be
targeted at natural resource concerns relating to livestock production.
The program is carried-out primarily in priority areas that may
be watersheds, regions, or multi-state areas, and for significant
statewide natural resource concerns that are outside of geographic
priority areas.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
RAMP is authorized by Section 406 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 as amended by the "Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 1991" as subtitled under the Budget Reconciliation Act (PL-101-508). It is authorized for the purpose of reclaiming the soil and water resources of rural lands adversely affected by past coal mining practices. There were approximately 1.1 million acres of abandoned coal-mined land needing reclamation in 1977. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formally the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) administers the program, and funding is provided from money deposited in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. The program provides technical and financial assistance to land users who voluntarily enter into 5- to 10-year contracts for reclamation of up to 320 acres of eligible abandoned coal-mined lands and waters. The land user with NRCS technical assistance involved prepares a reclamation plan.
All active coal mining operators pay into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation fund at a rate of 35 cents per ton of coal produced from surface mining and 15 cents per ton of coal produced by underground mining. The fees are deposited in the interest-bearing fund, which is used to pay reclamation costs of AML projects. Expenditures from the fund are authorized through the regular congressional budgetary and appropriation's process.
Soil Survey Programs
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The National Cooperative Soil Survey Program (NCSS) is a partnership led by NRCS of Federal land management agencies, state agricultural experiment stations and state and local units of government that provide soil survey information necessary for understanding, managing, conserving and sustaining the nation's limited soil resources.
Soil surveys provide an orderly, on-the-ground, scientific inventory of soil resources that includes maps showing the locations and extent of soils, data about the physical and chemical properties of those soils, and information derived from that data about potentialities and problems of use on each kind of soil in sufficient detail to meet all reasonable needs for farmers, agricultural technicians, community planners, engineers, and scientists in planning and transferring the findings of research and experience to specific land areas. Soil surveys provide the basic information needed to manage soil sustainably. They also provide information needed to protect water quality, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. Soil surveys are the basis for predicting the behavior of a soil under alternative uses, its potential erosion hazard, potential for ground water contamination, suitability and productivity for cultivated crops, trees, and grasses. Soil surveys are important to planners, engineers, zoning commissions, tax commissioners, homeowners, developers, as well as agricultural producers. Soil surveys also provide a basis to help predict the effect of global climate change on worldwide agricultural production and other land-dependent processes. The NRCS Soil Survey Division through its World Soil Resources Staff helps gather and interpret soil information for global use.
NRCS provides the soil surveys for the privately owned lands of the nation and, through its National Soil Survey Center, provides scientific expertise to enable the NCSS to develop and maintain a uniform system for mapping and assessing soil resources so that soil information from different locations can be shared, regardless of which agency collects it. NRCS provides most of the training in soil survey to Federal agencies and assists other Federal agencies with their soil inventories on a reimbursable basis. NRCS is also responsible for developing the standards and mechanisms for providing digital soil information for the national spatial data infrastructure required by Executive Order 12906.
Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasts
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The purpose of the program is to provide western states and Alaska with information on future water supplies. NRCS field staff collect and analyze data on depth and water equivalent of the snowpack at more than 1,200 mountain sites and estimate annual water availability, spring runoff, and summer streamflows. Individuals, organizations, and state and Federal agencies use these forecasts for decisions relating to agricultural production, fish and wildlife management, municipal and industrial water supply, urban development, flood control, recreation power generation, and water quality management. The National Weather Service includes the forecasts in their river forecasting function.
The objectives of the program are to:
- Provide water users with accurate forecasts of surface water supply within the first 5 working days of each month, Jan.-June.
- Efficiently obtain, manage, and disseminate high quality information on snow, water, climate, and hydrologic conditions.
- Develop and apply technology necessary to meet changing needs of water users.
The program was a GPRA pilot project for performance measurement.
Click here for more information.
Farmland Protection Program (FPP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Farmland Protection Program provides funds to help purchase
development rights to keep productive farmland in agricultural
uses. Working through existing programs, USDA joins with State,
tribal, or local governments to acquire conservation easements
or other interests from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent
of the fair market easement value. To qualify, farmland must:
be part of a pending offer from a State, tribe, or local farmland
protection program; be privately owned; have a conservation plan;
be large enough to sustain agricultural production; be accessible
to markets for what the land produces; have adequate infrastructure
and agricultural support services; and have surrounding parcels
of land that can support long-term agricultural production. Depending
on funding availability, proposals must be submitted by the government
entities to the appropriate NRCS State Office during the application
window.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Flood Risk Reduction Program (FRR)
Contact: USDA, Farm Service Agency
The Flood Risk Reduction Program was established to allow farmers who voluntarily enter into contracts to receive payments on lands with high flood potential. In return, participants agree to forego certain USDA program benefits. These contract payments provide incentives to move farming operations from frequently flooded land.
Forestry Incentives Program (FIP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) supports good forest management
practices on privately owned, non-industrial forest lands nationwide.
FIP is designed to benefit the environment while meeting future
demands for wood products. Eligible practices are tree planting,
timber stand improvement, site preparation for natural regeneration,
and other related activities. FIP is available in counties designated
by a Forest Service survey of eligible private timber acreage.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Watershed Surveys and Planning
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Watershed and Flood Prevention Act, P.L. 83-566, August 4, 1954, (16 U.S.C. 1001-1008) authorized this program. Prior to fiscal year 1996, small watershed planning activities and the cooperative river basin surveys and investigations authorized by Section 6 of the Act were operated as separate programs. The 1996 appropriations act combined the activities into a single program entitled the Watershed Surveys and Planning program. Activities under both programs are continuing under this authority.
The purpose of the program is to assist Federal, State, and local agencies and tribal governments to protect watersheds from damage caused by erosion, floodwater, and sediment and to conserve and develop water and land resources. Resource concerns addressed by the program include water quality, opportunities for water conservation, wetland and water storage capacity, agricultural drought problems, rural development, municipal and industrial water needs, upstream flood damages, and water needs for fish, wildlife, and forest-based industries.
Types of surveys and plans include watershed plans, river basin surveys and studies, flood hazard analyses, and flood plain management assistance. The focus of these plans is to identify solutions that use land treatment and nonstructural measures to solve resource problems.
Also see the Emergency Watershed Protection Fact Sheet.
Resource Conservation & Development Program (RC&D)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The purpose of the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) program is to accelerate the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources, improve the general level of economic activity, and to enhance the environment and standard of living in authorized RC&D areas. It improves the capability of State, tribal and local units of government and local nonprofit organizations in rural areas to plan, develop and carry out programs for resource conservation and development. The program also establishes or improves coordination systems in rural areas. Current program objectives focus on improvement of quality of life achieved through natural resources conservation and community development which leads to sustainable communities, prudent use (development), and the management and conservation of natural resources. Authorized RC&D areas are locally sponsored areas designated by the Secretary of Agriculture for RC&D technical and financial assistance program funds. NRCS can provide grants for land conservation, water management, community development, and environmental needs in authorized RC&D areas.
Stewardship Incentives Program (SIP)
Contact: USDA, Forest Service
The Stewardship Incentive Program provides technical and financial assistance to encourage non-industrial private forest landowners to keep their lands and natural resources productive and healthy. Qualifying land includes rural lands with existing tree cover or land suitable for growing trees and which is owned by a private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or other legal private entity. Eligible landowners must have an approved Forest Stewardship Plan and own 1,000 or fewer acres of qualifying land. Authorizations may be obtained for exceptions of up to 5,000 acres.
Watersheds Operations --Small Watershed Program and Flood Prevention
Program (WF 08 or FP 03)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Small Watershed Program works through local government sponsors and helps participants solve natural resource and related economic problems on a watershed basis. Projects include watershed protection, flood prevention, erosion and sediment control, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, wetlands creation and restoration, and public recreation in watersheds of 250,000 or fewer acres. Both technical and financial assistance are available. Click here for details.
Also see the Emergency Watershed Protection Fact Sheet.
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to restore wetlands. Participating landowners
can establish conservation easements of either permanent or 30-year
duration, or can enter into restoration cost-share agreements
where no easement is involved. In exchange for establishing a
permanent easement, the landowner receives payment up to the agricultural
value of the land and 100 percent of the restoration costs for
restoring the wetlands The 30-year easement payment is 75 percent
of what would be provided for a permanent easement on the same
site and 75 percent of the restoration cost. The voluntary agreements
are for a minimum 10-year duration and provide for 75 percent
of the cost of restoring the involved wetlands. Easements and
restoration cost-share agreements establish wetland protection
and restoration as the primary land use for the duration of the
easement or agreement. In all instances, landowners continue to
control access to their land.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
Contact: USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and
wildlife on private lands. Participants agree to implement a wildlife
habitat development plan and USDA agrees to provide cost-share
assistance for the initial implementation of wildlife habitat
development practices. USDA and program participants enter into
a cost-share agreement for wildlife habitat development. This
agreement generally lasts a minimum of 10 years from the date
that the contract is signed.
For additional information, see our Farm Bill page.
Note: More information about these programs are available from
staff at the State Office of NRCS and FSA as appropriate.
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