New Hampshire USDA NRCS Announces the Fiscal Year 2025 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Application Cutoff Dates

DOVER, N.H. August 22, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Hampshire has established the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) (ACEP) application cutoff batching dates.  

The application cutoff batching dates will be October 4, 2024, and December 20, 2024. 

     The ACEP provides private landowners the opportunity to permanently protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands and wildlife habitat under Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) and to conserve productive agricultural lands under the Agricultural Land Easements (ALE). Landowners are compensated for enrolling their land into the easement program.  Updated application forms and other important program information can be found at the bottom of the N.H. ACEP webpages: Wetlands Reserve Easements - New Hampshire | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) and Agricultural Land Easements - New Hampshire | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)

     Application ranking criteria for FY 2025 will be posted to the New Hampshire ACEP webpages prior to the October 4th application cutoff date.  Ranking criteria are the same as the previous year still available on the webpages above for reference.  Although ACEP applications may be filed on a continuous basis, management of the program requires periodic application cutoff dates to establish batching periods during which complete and eligible applications received prior to the cutoff date may be considered for funding. 

     Applications that rank over a minimum threshold will be considered for funding on a continuous basis under the general ACEP allocation funding pool. Therefore, we recommend that applications be submitted as soon as possible regardless of application cutoff dates.  The minimum threshold for continuous selection will be 100 points out of a 400-point total determined using the NRCS Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART).  Eligible applications considered for funding under the ACEP – Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allocation funding pool will only be selected for funding after all applications are ranked. 

Agricultural Land Easements (ALE)

     Through ACEP Agricultural Land Easements Agricultural Land Easements - New Hampshire | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov), NRCS provides funds to conservation partners to purchase conservation easements on private working lands. This program helps keep working lands working, especially in areas experiencing development pressure.  Partners include state or local agencies, non-profits, and tribes. Landowners continue to own their property but voluntarily enter into a legal agreement with a cooperating entity to purchase an easement. The partner applies for matching funds from NRCS for the purchase of an easement from the landowner to permanently protect the agricultural use and conservation values of the land.  Landowners do not apply directly to NRCS for funding under this option.  Eligible lands include privately owned cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and forestlands. 

     All eligible Partners (“Entities”) interested in applying to ACEP-ALE in FY 2025 must submit an ‘Entity Application for an ALE Program Agreement’ on form NRCS-CPA-41 (dated 02/2020 or later), a ‘Parcel Sheet for Entity Application for an ALE Agreement’ on form NRCS-CPA-41A (dated 02/2020 or later), and the FY 2025 ALE Parcel Workbook for each parcel to be considered for funding in FY 2025.  If the eligible entity is only applying to add new Parcel Contracts to an existing ACEP-ALE Program Agreement, an entity application (NRCS-CPA-41) is not required, only the NRCS-CPA-41A and associated Parcel Workbook for the parcel must be submitted, along with all required information and attachments.

Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE)

     Through ACEP Wetland Reserve Easements Wetlands Reserve Easements - New Hampshire | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov), NRCS helps landowners to protect, restore, enhance, and manage wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, flood water retention, groundwater recharge, open space, aesthetic values, and environmental education.

     Wetlands are one of nature’s most productive ecosystems providing many ecological, societal, and economic benefits. Seventy-five percent of the nation's wetlands are situated on private and tribal lands.  Eligible lands prioritized for enrollment include riparian areas that directly link protected wetlands along wetland or riparian corridors and adjacent lands that significantly contribute to the protection, restoration and enhancement of wetland functions and values.

     Landowners apply directly to NRCS for funding under this option. Landowners interested in applying to ACEP-WRE must submit a complete application package including a properly executed ‘Conservation Program Application’ on form NRCS-CPA-1200 (dated 10/2021 or later). 

More Information

     Landowners interested in wetland reserve easements and partners interested in conservation easements should visit the website and contact the state office.

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