We help the Great Lakes State's agricultural and forest producers protect natural resources as one of the nation's most diverse agricultural economies.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Michigan provides conservation technical and financial assistance to our state's agricultural producers and private forestland owners on a voluntary basis. We support one of the nation's most diverse agricultural economies while helping producers and landowners protect the Great Lakes and our state's water, soil, wildlife, and other natural resources.
Michigan & National Initiatives
Michigan & National Special Initiatives
Locally-led conservation targets technical and financial resources to address state and regional resource priorities.
Learn MoreMichigan State Office
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Michigan provides conservation technical and financial assistance to our state's agricultural producers and private forestland owners on a voluntary basis. We support one of the nation's most diverse agricultural economies while helping producers and landowners protect the Great Lakes and our state's water, soil, wildlife, and other natural resources.
Michigan Conservation Technical Assistance
Engineering
Engineering
NRCS applies sound engineering tools and principles to plan, design, and implement conservation practices and systems through delegated approval authority. Engineering assistance can be obtained from NRCS field offices who are assisted by the area and state engineering staffs.
NRCS field offices in Michigan receive conservation engineering assistance from area and state office engineering staff consisting of professional engineers and technicians. The engineering staff helps assure that all NRCS-funded practices meet NRCS-approved standards and specifications. Learn more
Forestry
Forestry
The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Michigan works in partnership with other federal, state, local and Tribal governments as well as universities and non-governmental organizations to provide technical assistance on private land forestry issues. Learn more
Soil Health
Soil Health
The resources on this soil health web page are designed to help visitors understand the basics and benefits of soil health—and to learn about Soil Health Management Systems from farmers who are using those systems. Learn more
Livestock
Livestock
NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to all types of livestock operations. Learn more
State Programs and Initiatives
NRCS provides locally-led conservation assistance to meet the resource concerns of Michigan producers and landowners. USDA conservation programs operate under the same regulations nationally but individual states offer initiatives to address statewide and regional conservation priorities.
In addition, cut-off dates for when program applications must be submitted often vary from state to state. The latest program information specific to Michigan producers can be found here.
In addition, cut-off dates for when program applications must be submitted often vary from state to state. The latest program information specific to Michigan producers can be found here.
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.
