Colorado Open Lands Announces Funding for Conservation Easements through USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Colorado Open Lands Announces Funding for Conservation Easements through USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Colorado Open Lands is announcing a funding opportunity through the Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service and their Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Producers within the area identified on the map that are interested in protecting their land and water by enrolling in a conservation easement on their agricultural operation can submit an application between April 25 - May 25, 2024, to the San Luis NRCS Field Office to be considered for this funding cycle. There will be funds available in future years, but it is never too early to begin planning!
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust which contain permanent restrictions on the use or development of land in order to protect certain values of that particular property. A conservation easement can ensure that the water rights used on the land will always stay with the land. A conservation easement does not prevent you from mortgaging, leasing, selling, or passing on your land, nor does the land trust own the property or get involved in the day-to-day management. In addition to state and federal tax benefits, the funds offered through this RCPP program can compensate you for the value of your conservation easement. If you are an agricultural producer wishing to enroll in a conservation easement, please know that you will need to work with an eligible land trust to submit an application by the deadline.
To be eligible for consideration for this funding opportunity, an agricultural producer must have updated farm records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA), must irrigate from a recognized acequia, and must meet all program eligibility requirements. Interested participants must meet the specific funding pool required criteria to be considered for funding.
To determine if your application is eligible for this select fund pool and for additional information about applications contact Joel Nystrom, Colorado Open Lands Project Manager at 719-496-1708, Laura Trimboli, NRCS Easement Program Manager at 970-403-6379 and Laura.trimboli@usda.gov, or Marissa Markus, NRCS RCPP Coordinator at 719 342 9059 and Marissa.markus@usda.gov.