Agricultural Conservation Easement Program

To establish an agricultural conservation easement program for the conservation of eligible land and natural resources through easements or other interests in the land. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) is comprised of two components � Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). The ACEP-ALE component provides funding to eligible entities to purchase conservation easements to protect the agricultural use and future viability, and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land; and to protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible land. The ACEP-WRE component provides funding for the purchase of conservation easements held by NRCS, and to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands on eligible land.

For ACEP-ALE an eligible entity that is an Indian Tribe, State government, local government, or a nongovernmental organization which has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements for the purpose of protecting agriculture use and related conservation values, including grazing uses and related conservation values, by limiting conversion to nonagricultural uses of the land, and that has pending offers may apply for funds. This program is available in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Mariana Islands. Individual landowners must apply through the local agency or organization that handles the farmland or grassland protection program. For ACEP-WRE, private landowners, including individual landowners, partnerships, associations, corporations, estates, trusts, and other business or legal entities, and Indian tribes are eligible to apply. This program is available in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Mariana Islands.

ACEP-ALE - Criteria used for selecting applications include: Percent of prime, unique, and other important farmland in the parcel to be protected; protection of historical or archeological resources; protection of grazing uses and related conservation values; Percent of cropland, rangeland, grassland, historic grassland, pastureland, or nonindustrial private forest land in the parcel to be protected; Ratio of the total acres of land in the parcel to be protected to average farm size in the county; Decrease in the percentage of acreage of farm and ranch land in the county in which the parcel is located; Percent population growth and density in the county; Existence of a farm or ranch succession plan or similar plan established to address farm viability; Proximity of the parcel to other protected land and to other agricultural operations and agricultural infrastructure; Maximizing the protection of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use; Zoning; Eligible entity's performance; Geographic regions help achieve national, State, and regional conservation goals and objectives; Diversity of natural resources to be protected; Score in the land evaluation and site assessment system or equivalent measure for grassland enrollments; the parcels support of grazing operations; protection of grassland, land that contains forbs, and shrubland at the greatest risk from the threat of conversion to uses other than grazing; and plant and animal biodiversity. ACEP-WRE � All offers are...

ACEP-ALE � NRCS may provide up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement. An eligible entity will share in the cost of purchasing an agricultural land easement in an amount that is at least equivalent to the Federal share. An eligible entity may include as part of its share a charitable donation or qualified conservation contribution (as defined by section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) from the landowner. NRCS may authorize a waiver to increase the federal share to 75 percent for grasslands of special environmental significance with respective adjustments to the eligible entity contribution. For grasslands of special environmental significance enrollments, the eligible entity must provide a non-Federal share that is at least equivalent to the Federal share or comprises the remainder of the fair market value of the agricultural land...

Fiscal year 2025: Landowners protected 13 acres of their vineyard with a conservation easement allowing it to be forever farmed. The land, with its excellent farm soil, has been working farmland for centuries. The land is also connected to other conservation properties, adding to a protected corridor of lands.