Conservation Easement Program Signup Deadline is Feb. 28 in Florida

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Conservation, Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS, Water, Wetland

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to remind agricultural landowners in the state who are interested in protecting their land uses with conservation values the fiscal year 2023 application deadline through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) is Tuesday, February 28. NRCS in Florida is accepting applications for the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component of ACEP. The program protects grazing uses and …

climate change

USDA-NRCS in Georgia Announces Sign-up for Conservation Practices

Dan Conservation, Environment, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Georgia, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia is conducting an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) sign-up utilizing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This statewide sign-up will take two approaches to assist producers who plan to build climate resiliency into their operations. First, those applying for cover crops will be administered through the ACT NOW approach, which is a targeted, rapid, and streamlined …

florida

Agricultural Landowners in Florida Reminded to Apply for CSP by February 24

Dan Conservation, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS

Agricultural landowners in Florida are being reminded applications to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are due by Friday, February 24th to qualify for the program’s current funding cycle. Through this voluntary conservation program, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines and enhances existing efforts while improving their agricultural operations. Using new conservation …

Prop 12

NPPC Leads Effort to Overturn EPA’s New Proposal on Rodenticides

Dan Environment, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork, USDA-EPA

EPA announced a proposal to overturn decades-long policies regulating farmers’ and ranchers’ use of rodenticides. The proposed changes would enhance current restrictions, create new certifications and trainings, add more requirements to labels, reclassify some products to restricted use pesticides and, if not the most important aspect, presents a major biosecurity risk to farms. A challenging, time-consuming and expensive proposal for …

meeting

Virtual Meeting of Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production is Thursday

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation, Education, Environment, USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to virtually attend the fourth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Feb. 23 from 3:30-6pm ET.? The Committee will discuss recommendations it intends to submit to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to remove barriers to urban and innovative producers and …

Florida Ag Landowners Reminded of Conservation Easement Program Signup Deadline

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Conservation, Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS, Water, Wetland

Florida agricultural landowners interested in protecting their land uses with conservation values are being reminded about a fiscal year 2023 application deadline through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is accepting applications for the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component. That sign-up deadline is February 28, 2023. NRCS accepts these applications year-round, but any received after that date …

Climate-Smart Easements

NRCS Broadened Reach of Conservation in Past Two Years

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Conservation, Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), Environment, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), USDA-NRCS

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continued its conservation work despite the pandemic and numerous natural disasters. During the past couple of years, they’ve helped agricultural producers and forest landowners implement conservation practices on their working lands. These efforts by NRCS helped conserve natural resources such as soil, water and wildlife while delivering climate solutions and boosting producers’ bottom lines. Through …

agricultural

EPA Proposes Changes to Agricultural Worker Protection Standard

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, Pest/Pest Control, USDA-EPA

There could soon be changes to certain agricultural pesticide use rules, as the Biden administration seeks to change some adjustments made in 2020. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule that would change the pesticide Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) requirements under the 2015 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS).   In 2015, EPA made significant changes to the …

climate-smart agriculture

IRA Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture

Dan Agri-Business, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Climate Change, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environment, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), This Land of Ours, USDA-NRCS

Investing in climate-smart agriculture. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced funding for agricultural producers and forest landowners to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices. The Inflation Reduction Act provided an additional $19.5 billion over five years for climate-smart agriculture through several USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. NRCS is …

state

Around the State with Commissioner Pate

Dan Alabama, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), Around the State with Commissioner Pate, Census of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment, USDA-NASS

In our weekly “Around the State with Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate”, during the recent Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans, an Alabama farm received a stewardship award. Can you tell us about it Commissioner? Learn more about it on the Environmental Stewardship Award Program website. And that’s our weekly Around the State with Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) Commissioner, Rick Pate.