Signup Deadline Announced for Alabama’s Easement and Financial Assistance Programs
Signup Deadline Announced for Alabama’s Easement and Financial Assistance Programs
NEWS RELEASE
Release No.:1.23
Signup Deadline Announced for Alabama’s Easement and Financial Assistance Programs
Auburn, Alabama – Alabama State Conservationist, Ben Malone, with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces that the Fiscal Year 2023 Farm Bill Easement and Financial Assistance Programs signup deadline is November 18th, 2022. Applicable programs include:
- the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE)
- the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
- the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
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. More specifically:
ACEP-WRE: easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity and provide opportunities for educational, scientific and limited recreational activities. Land eligible for wetland reserve easements include farmed or converted wetland that can be successfully and cost-effectively restored. NRCS will prioritize applications based the easement’s potential for protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
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.
EQIP: provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against increasing weather volatility. Initiatives include Bobwhite Quail, Feral Swine, High Tunnel, Irrigation, Longleaf Pine, On Farm Energy, Organic, Shortleaf, Soil Quality, Strikeforce, Technical Service Provider, Urban Ag, Animal Mortality, Water Quality, White Oak, and Working Lands For Wildlife – Gopher Tortoise.
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis; however, selecting applications for funding is completed periodically through batching periods with specific cutoff dates. The first cutoff date is November 18th, 2022. Applications received after this date will be held and considered for subsequent funding opportunities as available funds permit.
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.
Within EQIP, High Priority and Source Water Protection practices will receive higher payment rates in designated conservation areas within the state. Additionally, in FY2023, Conservation Incentive Contracts will be offered.
For more information about Alabama NRCS and Programmatic initiatives, priorities and assessment/ranking criteria, visit online at www.al.nrcs.usda.gov or www.nrcs.usda.gov. Additionally, visit your local USDA Service Center to determine eligibility; applicants are not eligible for USDA programs until they have ensured all Farm Bill eligibility requirements have been met. You can locate your local Service Center.
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