The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama wants to remind eligible landowners and agricultural producers that signup continues for Fiscal Year 2023 Farm Bill easement and financial assistance programs.
Those programs include the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC).
NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. Through these programs the agency 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.
Special emphasis participants like socially disadvantaged, limited resource, new and beginning, and eligible military veteran farmers and ranchers are eligible for a higher payment rate. In addition, these historically underserved farmers and ranchers are eligible for a 50 percent advanced payment for purchasing materials or contracting to help with practice implementation in EQIP.
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis; but selecting applications for funding is completed periodically through batching periods with specific cutoff dates. The signup deadline for these programs is November 18, 2022. Applications received after that date will be held and considered for subsequent funding opportunities.
For more information, stop by NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.