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 …
USDA Accepts More than 2.5 Million Acres in Grassland CRP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced they have accepted offers for more than 2.5 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment through this year’s Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Signup. This is double last year’s enrollment and brings the total acres enrolled across all CRP signups in 2021 to more than 5.3 million acres, surpassing USDA’s …
Local Working Groups Set Conservation Priorities in Florida
When it comes to solving natural resource problems, local landowners and managers know best. That’s why the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida gives them a seat at the table at local working group meetings. At these meetings, farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, conservation partners and the public discuss natural resource needs and priorities for their county. NRCS and soil and water …
Climate-Smart Agriculture through CRP
Back in May, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. The multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to …
USDA Accepts 2.8 Million Acres for the CRP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they’ve accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) this year. That brings the total accepted this year to almost 1.9 million acres through the General CRP Signup. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says they have also accepted over …
Assistance Helps Farmers and Ranchers Conserve Natural Resources
Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until September 1,2021 for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2022 funding. Through EQIP, agricultural landowners can receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other …
Everglades Restoration Update
(NSF) — A project to remove a section of the Old Tamiami Trail roadbed in a Miami-Dade County section of the Everglades has been finished months ahead of schedule. The completion of the project, which was announced Tuesday morning, will allow more fresh water to freely flow south through the Everglades. The road, which was built nearly 100 years ago, …
Developing a Conservation Plan
Developing a conservation plan through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help landowners identify objectives and analyze the natural resource issues on that land. These are related to soil, water, animals, plants, air, energy and human interaction. NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs, Jimmy Bramblett, says everyone can take advantage of the benefits of conservation. Bramblett notes how water is …
USDA Seeking Partnerships to Restore Wetland Ecosystems
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind conservation partners that they will be investing up to $17 million to help protect and restore critical wetlands on agricultural lands through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is prioritizing proposals that focus on assisting historically underserved producers conserving wetlands. But, the deadline for proposals from partners …
NACD Celebrates 75th Anniversary
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) celebrated its 75th anniversary Sunday in Chicago, Illinois, where the association was founded in 1946. The event featured remarks from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, as well as a historical presentation from Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) Historian Joe Otto. Vilsack said, “NACD and NRCS …