The Conservation Stewardship Program helps agricultural producers in Tennessee maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns.
ACT NOW
NRCS has developed a faster process to approve producer applications for its conservation programs. Using its ACT NOW authority, NRCS can now pre-approve applications when they meet or exceed a state’s pre-determined minimum ranking score. Applications are ranked according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide, and the needs of applicants.
NRCS Tennessee will implement the ACT NOW approach within the FY2025 Conservation Stewardship Program through the Beginning Farmer Agland, Beginning Farmer Non-Industrial Private Forestland, Socially Disadvantaged Farmer/Rancher Agland, and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer/Rancher Non-Industrial Private Forestland ranking pools. Based on availability of funds, applications with a score greater than a pre-determined threshold will be preapproved once assessed and ranked until funds have been expended. No special application is required to be eligible for funding through the ACT NOW process.
- ACT NOW-Beginning Farmer Agland (15.0-Minimum Threshold Ranking Score)
- ACT NOW-Beginning Farmer Non-Industrial Private Forestland (15.0-Minimum Threshold Ranking Score)
- ACT NOW-Socially Disadvantaged Farmer/Rancher Agland (15.0-Minimum Threshold Ranking Score)
- ACT NOW-Socially Disadvantaged Farmer/Rancher Non-Industrial Private Forestland (15.0-Minimum Threshold Ranking Score)
Ready to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.