USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind eligible landowners and agricultural producers about the various voluntary programs they offer that provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Through these programs, NRCS approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, improve soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
Jimmy Bramblett, NRCS deputy chief for programs, explains how the funding opportunities work.
And Brabblett explains why producers should want to participate in NRCS programs.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat.
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance, the higher the performance, the higher the payment.
The Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA) helps agricultural producers use conservation to manage risk and solve natural resource issues through natural resources conservation. NRCS administers the AMA conservation provisions while the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Risk Management Agency implement other provisions under AMA.
To learn more about these and other financial assistance programs that NRCS is involved with click here, or contact your local USDA Service Center.