NRCS Agricultural Land Easements Protect Privately-Owned Croplands and Grasslands
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting the second round of applications for enrollment into the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program. Applications for fiscal year 2025 funding must be received by December 31, 2024.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 27, 2024 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting the second round of applications for enrollment into the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), as part of the Inflation Reduction Act Climate-Smart effort. Applications for fiscal year 2025 funding must be received by December 31, 2024.
The ALE program provides funding to eligible conservation partners to purchase conservation easements on private working lands. Eligible partners include Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs.
“This valuable program helps maintain the agricultural viability of the land for future generations,” said NRCS Ohio State Conservationist, John Wilson. “Ohio’s farmlands are an essential part of the state’s identity and economic makeup. We must do all that we can to preserve them.”
Land eligible for agricultural easements includes cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and non-industrial private forest land. NRCS will prioritize applications that protect agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land and those that maximize the protection of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use.
To discuss project eligibility, locate an NRCS field office near you, or visit Ohio’s ALE webpage for ranking and program information. Contact Abby McClain at Abigail.Mcclain@usda.gov for more information.
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