Agricultural Conservation Easements Program-Wetland Reserve Easements FY 2024 Ranking Criteria for Caribbean Area
Applicability
Is this participant applying for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP - WRE)?
- a. Yes — Points: 0
- b. No — Points: 0
Category Question
The offered land is located in:
- a. Puerto Rico — Points: 0
- b. U.S. Virgin Islands — Points: 0
Program Questions
1. Is the landowner willing to contribute towards the easement?
- a. Landowner or entity has offered to contribute to easement costs. — Points: 60
- b. Landowner or entity has NOT offered to contribute to easement costs. — Points: 0
2. Is the participant applying for a Permanent Easement or 30 Year Easement?
- a. Permanent Easement — Points: 50
- b. 30 Year Easement — Points: 30
3. Percentage of prime, unique and locally important farmland:
- a. 67-100% of the offered acres — Points: 40
- b. 34- 66% of the offered acres — Points: 20
- c. 0 - 33% of the offered acres — Points: 10
4. Are the PLU located in the NRCS Source Water Priority Areas?
- a. Yes — Points: 20
- b. No — Points: 0
5. Does the landowner or entity qualify as Historically Underserved (HU) participant?
- a. Yes — Points: 30
- b. No — Points: 0
Resource Questions
1. Can the pre-conversion hydrologic flow pattern be restored to the site? (i.e. there are no dikes, canals, ditches or structures adjacent to the site that will affect the surface or subsurface flow onto or off of the site, or other physical or legal restrictions present)?
- a. Yes — Points: 30
- b. No — Points: 0
2. Select the number that is closest to the proposed WRE eligible easement size?
- a. Greater than 60 acres — Points: 30
- b. Between 40 and up to 60 acres — Points: 20
- c. Between 20 and up to 40 acres — Points: 10
- d. Less than 20 acres — Points: 5
3. What is the wetland habitat diversity of the offered area?
- a. The proposed easement contains 3 or more wetland types — Points: 30
- b. The proposed easement contains 2 wetland types — Points: 20
- c. The proposed easement contains only 1 wetland type — Points: 10
4. Proposed easement boundary proximity to impaired waters:
- a. The proposed easement boundary is within or adjacent to impaired waters — Points: 30
- b. The proposed easement boundary is within 100 feet of distance and flows to impaired waters — Points: 10
- c. Not Applicable — Points: 0
5. Are the PLU located within or adjacent to State Forest Priority Areas or other easements?
- a. Yes — Points: 30
- b. No — Points: 0
6. Will the site include identified Threatened and/or Endangered species or state species of concern?
- a. Yes — Points: 30
- b. No — Points: 0
7. Are the permitting requirements and designs associated to the wetlands restoration already addressed?
- a. Yes — Points: 20
- b. No — Points: 0