The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for applications from agricultural producers for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from Hurricane Ian. The application deadline has been extended to September 25, 2023. “We understand the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Ian and the catastrophic and widespread impacts in Florida’s agricultural communities,” said Deborah Tannenbaum, State Executive …
USDA Unveils Efforts to Streamline Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is streamlining its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) to ultimately better help agricultural producers and private landowners conserve wetlands, productive farmlands and at-risk grasslands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is rolling out several improvements to the program, which has more than 5 million acres of land enrolled, in response to feedback from producers, landowners and conservation partners. …
New Resources for Working Lands for Wildlife Efforts
USDA’s Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) program recently received new resources in its efforts to improve wildlife habitat through conservation of working farmlands. The expansion includes close alignment of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA), centered around WLFW Frameworks for Conservation Action. USDA Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary Robert Bonnie discusses some of the new investments and collaborations under the program. …
USDA Announces Historic Investment in Wildlife Conservation
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will expand its work on wildlife conservation by investing at least $500 million over the next five years. This includes leveraging all available conservation programs through both the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). These commitments will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes …
USDA Announces Investment in Wildlife Conservation
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing in wildlife conservation. That’s coming up on This land of Ours. The USDA this week expanded wildlife conservation investments by $500 million over the next five years. The effort leverages all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), through its Working Lands for Wildlife effort. The commitments will ramp up the …
Conservation Easement Program Sign up Deadline in Florida is June 30
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) wants to remind Florida landowners interested in aligning their land uses with conservation values, June 30 is the deadline to apply for a conservation easement program for fiscal year 2023 funding. This project, through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), is designed to protect the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor. The O2O Wildlife …
USDA Hiring Engineers, Natural Resource Specialists
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is ramping up hiring for key positions to help strengthen agricultural conservation efforts. The available positions, through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), include engineers, civil engineering technicians and natural resource specialists. The application period for engineer positions and engineering technicians is currently open and natural resource specialist opportunities will open next week. …
USDA Investing to Expand Measurement and Monitoring of Soil Carbon on Working Agricultural Lands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $8 million in four regional partnerships across the nation to support and expand measurement and monitoring of carbon in soil on working agricultural lands and to assess how climate-smart practices are affecting carbon sequestration. Here in the Southeast, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be working with American Climate Partners on a regional …
Conservation Easement Program Sign Up for Florida Landowners Extended through June 30
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) wants Florida landowners interested in aligning their land uses with conservation values, to know they have additional time to apply for a conservation easement program. The application deadline for fiscal year 2023 funding through this Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has been extended from its original June 16th deadline to June 30th to allow …
USDA to Invest $3 Million to Support Cooperative Soil Science and Soil Survey Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to invest $3 million in partnerships to promote research that informs and improves soil surveys at the regional level. This is part of an ongoing effort to continue to provide critical data. Proposals from institutions of higher education in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network should be submitted to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation …