The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Maine (NRCS-ME) is using Act Now to deliver conservation contracting faster.
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The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Maine (NRCS-ME) is using Act Now to deliver conservation contracting faster.
The Act Now process allows NRCS to approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an application meets or exceeds a state-determined minimum ranking score without waiting until the NRCS field office ranks all applications in the ranking pool.
NRCS-ME Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Fiscal Year 2025 applications will be using ACT NOW for the following ranking pools:
- FY25 MAINE ACT NOW-Climate Smart Agriculture: Eligible practices include Conservation Cover (code 327), Conservation Crop Rotation (code 328), Soil Carbon Amendment (code 336), Cover Crop (code 340), Mulch (code 484), Residue & Tillage Management, No-Till (code 329), Residue & Tillage Management, Reduced Till (code 345)
- FY25 Maine ACT NOW Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs).
Applications eligible for the Act Now ranking pools listed above will be accepted on a continuous sign-up basis in the order received until March 7, 2025. Any application that ranks at or above the NRCS-ME established minimum ranking score of 75 points will be preapproved as long as funds are available.
For more information about assistance available, contact your local USDA Service Center.
Additional Information
Apply for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers.
Learn MoreHistorically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) includes provisions that address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers (“historically underserved producers”).
Learn MoreFarm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill was enacted on December 20, 2018. The Farm Bill continues its strong support for conservation efforts of America’s farmers and ranchers through reauthorization and expanded flexibility of NRCS conservation programs.
Learn MoreReady to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
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.