West Virginia Agricultural Management Assistance

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers on a voluntarily bases to address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. Producers may construct or improve water management structures or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, or transition to organic farming.

How to Apply

Visit your local USDA Service Center to apply.

Program Features

• The program pays financial assistance of up to 75 percent of the cost of installing conservation practices.
• The total AMA payments shall not exceed $50,000 per participant for any fiscal year.
• Participants are not subject to Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985; however participants are subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.
• Program offers an additional higher cost-share for historically underserved producers

Program Eligibility

• Be engaged in livestock or agricultural production.
• Have an interest in the farming operation associated with the land being offered for AMA enrollment.
• Have control of the land for the term of the proposed contract.
• Be in compliance with the provisions for protecting the interests of tenants and sharecroppers, including the provisions for sharing AMA payments on a fair and equitable basis.
• Be within appropriate payment limitation requirements

Land Eligibility

Includes land:

• on which agricultural commodities or livestock are produced such as cropland, hayland, pastureland, rangeland, and grassland
• land used for subsistence purposes, private non-industrial forestland or other land on which agricultural products, livestock or forest-related goods are produced
• where risk may be mitigated through operation diversification or change in resource conservation practices.

Ranking Criteria

The following factors must be used when ranking criteria for applications:

• The cost effectiveness of the proposed conservation practices.  
• The magnitude of the expected conservation benefits resulting from the conservation treatment and the priority of the natural resource concerns that have been identified at the local, Tribal, State, and national levels.
• How effectively and comprehensively the project addresses the priority natural resource concerns Note: Applications that result in the greatest environmental improvement should receive a higher ranking. All ranking processes and criteria must use the approved natural resource concerns that are listed in the Field Office Technical Guide for the specific area being proposed for treatment, and identify the associated national, State, and local priorities that are addressed by this treatment.
• Use of conservation practices that provide long-term conservation enhancements.
• Compliance with Federal, State, local, and Tribal regulatory requirements concerning soil, water and air quality, wildlife habitat, and ground and surface water conservation. Note: Higher ranking should be given to plans that will help producers avoid regulatory requirements altogether, meet regulatory requirements, or reduce the potential for regulations.
• Willingness of the applicant to complete all conservation practices in an expedited manner, such as completing all practices within 3 years. 
• The ability to improve existing conservation practices or systems that are in place at the time the application is accepted or that complete a conservation system.
• Other locally defined pertinent factors, such as the location of the conservation practice, the extent of natural resource degradation, and the degree of cooperation by local producers to achieve environmental improvements.