Wildlife and fisheries, biology, conservation compliance, cultural resources, pest and nutrient management, grazing management, agronomy, engineering, plants, people and the resources they use or manage are all consideration ...
The NRCS helps private landowners care and make healthy choices for soil, water, air, plants and animal habitats. Much of the Agency's works is accomplished through partnerships, providing technical assistance, and financial assistance through conservation programs within the Farm Bill.
Who we are
For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
What we do
Through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
Conserving Natural Resources Through Partnerships
The NRCS helps conserve Colorado’s agricultural landscapes and its natural resources one partnership at a time. Learn about Colorado's Local Work Groups, and watch as partners share their experiences.
Colorado State and Area Office Contacts
Communications Products, News, Factsheets, Success Stories, and Videos
NRCS in Colorado...Helping People Help the Land
Land-use Planning and Technical Resources- Colorado
Beginning Farmer/Rancher and Historically Underserved Communities - Colorado
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) includes provisions that address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers (“histor...
Small Acreage/Urban Agriculture - Colorado
Colorado's urban agriculture pioneers are taking action in their communities, growing not only fresh, healthy produce, but also providing jobs, beautifying their neighborhoods, and offering access to fresh, healthy food.
Soil and Soil Health - Colorado
America’s vitality is rooted in the soil. Today, private landowners across the country are partnering with NRCS to conserve and improve soil. Additionally, NRCS is also a leader in soil science, playing a pivotal role in clas...
Healthy Forests - Colorado
The Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private and tribal lands through easements and financial assistance.
Earth Team Volunteers - Colorado
Since 1985, Earth Team volunteers have provided a valued source of talent to NRCS. These dedicated volunteers work with conservation professionals on private lands to improve soil quality, conserve water, improve air quality ...
Organics - Colorado
The organic initiative provides assistance to help implement conservation practices for organic producers or those transitioning to organic. The initiative addresses natural resource concerns and helps growers meet requireme...
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) and Planning
CTA is the help NRCS and its partners provide to land users to address natural resource opportunities, concerns, and problems and to help land users make sound natural resource management decisions.
State Programs and Initiatives
NRCS offers conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis, but we rank and batch applications as funding allows.
Colorado Financial Assistance Programs:
o EQIP
o CSP
o ACEP
o EWP
o RCPP
Colorado Financial Assistance Programs:
o EQIP
o CSP
o ACEP
o EWP
o RCPP
State Payment Schedule
NRCS provides financial assistance for selected conservation practices. The availability and amount of financial assistance can vary between states.
Civil Rights Committee
The National Civil Rights Advisory Committee to the Chief (NCRACC) is designed to provide management officials and employees with counsel and advice to enhance and ensure compliance with their equal employment opportunity and program delivery responsibilities.
State Technical Committee
State Technical Committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of the natural resources conservation provisions of Farm Bill legislation.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.
