NRCS Conservation Programs

Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

The purpose of the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) is to assist landowners, on a voluntary basis, in restoring, enhancing and protecting forestland resources on private lands through easements, 30-year contracts and 10-year cost-share agreements. The objectives of HFRP are to promote the recovery of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), improve plant and animal biodiversity, and enhance carbon sequestration.

To learn more see HFRP

For easement counts and easement acres, see Easement Program Data dashboard

Financial Information: Total Obligations | Technical Assistance | Financial Assistance
Conservation Practice Implementation Reports: by State | by State and Conservation Practices related to: Fish & Wildlife Habitat | Forest Land Conservation

Financial Information

The Financial Information section presents data from the USDA Office of the Chief Financial Officer's Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI) system and its predecessor, the Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS). The Financial Information presented here is Total Obligations which the Government Accountability Office defines as binding agreements (orders placed, contracts awarded, services rendered, etc.) that will result in outlays, immediately or in the future. Before obligations can be incurred, budgetary resources must be made available by Congress. The obligations displayed for each year are the total obligations reported as of the end of each fiscal year. Subsequent adjustments after the close of the fiscal year are not included.

There are two categories of Total Obligations presented below:

  • Technical Assistance (TA) Obligations refer to the scientific expertise, natural resource data, tools, and technology that USDA NRCS personnel provide to help producers, landowners, and communities develop conservation plans and implement conservation practices to solve natural resource problems at the field, operation, or larger landscape scales. NRCS is the lead agency for providing technical assistance for USDA.
  • Financial Assistance (FA) Obligations refer to the commitment of funds to contracts for payments that will be made to program participants for the purchase of easements and for implementing conservation practices, which can provide both on-site and off-site conservation benefits.
This program does not include Reimbursable funds.

Financial data should not be incorporated with the programmatic enrollment data provided below to derive a cost/acre or cost/agreement. Among other reasons, such calculations will not produce accurate results since both technical assistance and financial assistance obligations for associated conservation practices are included in these data, in addition to the obligations used for purchasing easements.

Total Obligations, by Fiscal Year and Type
HFRP Total Obligations, by Fiscal Year
In thousands of dollars
Division 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Arkansas $123.1
 $8.6
 $8.8
 $0.1

$0.2






California
$636.7
 $706.7
 $413.4
 $152.4
$0.3






Georgia $244.2
 $92.8
 $2,539.4
 $218.1
 $21.2
$7.2
 $437.2



$2,458.1
 $-8.9
Indiana $137.2
 $1,356.4
 $1,595.2
 $12.1
 $628.1
 $30.1
 $11.3




$139.6
 $-4.7
Kentucky
$83.5
 $1,496.7
 $2,219.5
 $1,209.4
 $223.7
 $64.3
 $32.8
 $15.2

$15.5

Maine $26.9
 $5.6
 $16.5
 $259.6
 $36.2
 $40.2
 $0.1






Michigan
$13.2
 $179.3
 $235.7
 $490.7
 $-2.9
 $0.2




$10.0
 $22.5
Mississippi $1,034.2
 $1,016.9
 $92.9
 $414.5
 $704.8
 $-22.3
 $-16.2
 $-1.7
 $109.1




Ohio
$19.0
 $128.8
 $222.6
 $85.2
 $-6.2
 $0.2






Oklahoma $425.9
 $1,443.1
 $3,734.0
 $609.4
 $272.9
 $139.6
 $719.8
 $22.2
 $12.0
 $47.1
 $50.0
 $16.3
$18.0
Oregon $448.3
 $3,250.4
 $5,959.2
 $4,152.0
 $1,810.6
 $91.4
$38.2



$479.2
 $5.8
Pennsylvania
$4.5
 $112.0
 $1,437.8
 $650.7
 $58.8
 $298.3
 $163.1



$56.6
 $3.2
South Carolina

$1,207.2
 $-448.0
 $318.6
$0.1






Other $181.3
 $15.2
 $134.0
 $96.4
 $62.5
 $24.3
 $198.5
 $12.0
 $16.8
 $23.4
 $4.0
 $170.5

Total $2,621.0
 $7,946.0
 $17,910.8
 $9,843.1
 $6,443.3
 $576.7
 $1,284.2
 $703.8
 $153.1
 $70.5
 $54.0
 $202.3
 $3,143.5
 $35.9
Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, 2012-2022 data from Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI);
2009-2011 data from Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS).
• Other indicates Headquarters, Regional, or other non-State divisions.
• Negative numbers reflect fund adjustments made throughout the year.
• Totals may not exactly match sum over divisions due to rounding.
HFRP Technical Assistance Obligations,
by Fiscal Year
In thousands of dollars
Division 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Arkansas $3.8
 $8.6
 $8.8
 $0.1

$0.2






California
$36.7
 $107.7
 $61.7
 $45.4
$0.3






Georgia $240.2
 $92.8
 $309.0
 $17.2

$0.2




$102.0
 $-8.9
Indiana $108.4
 $202.1
 $100.5
 $45.9
 $59.6
 $-176.2
 $4.2




$9.2
 $-4.7
Kentucky
$25.0
 $249.2
 $178.1
 $290.9
 $-1,795.7
 $36.3
 $3.6
 $15.1

$0.5

Maine $26.9
 $5.6
 $16.5
 $24.6

$0.1






Michigan
$1.6
 $18.8
 $60.3
 $106.7
 $-99.0
 $0.2





$20.1
Mississippi $130.5
 $134.6
 $16.2
 $47.9
 $110.3
 $-320.0
 $-16.2






Ohio
$8.4
 $103.5
 $35.4
 $29.6
 $-6.2
 $0.2






Oklahoma $419.3
 $466.7
 $221.3
 $115.8
 $229.3
 $-329.1
 $-168.2
 $1.5




$16.2
Oregon $289.8
 $468.5
 $260.2
 $475.3
 $179.2
 $90.5





$2.0
 $5.8
Pennsylvania
$3.6
 $24.0
 $203.9
 $107.1
 $-0.5
 $-3.5
 $27.9



$56.6
 $3.2
South Carolina

$257.2
 $17.0
 $4.8
 $-435.0
 $0.1






Other $145.7
 $15.3
 $130.8
 $96.7
 $62.5
 $24.3
 $176.3
$2.8
 $23.4
 $4.0
 $170.5

Total $1,364.6
 $1,469.6
 $1,823.9
 $1,379.8
 $1,225.4
 $-3,046.9
 $30.0
 $33.0
 $17.9
 $23.4
 $4.0
 $171.0
 $169.8
 $31.7
Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, 2012-2022 data from Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI);
2009-2011 data from Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS).
• Other indicates Headquarters, Regional, or other non-State divisions.
• Negative numbers reflect fund adjustments made throughout the year.
• Totals may not exactly match sum over divisions due to rounding.
HFRP Financial Assistance Obligations,
by Fiscal Year
In thousands of dollars
Division 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Arkansas $119.2












California
$600.0
 $599.0
 $351.7
 $107.0








Georgia $4.0
$2,230.4
 $200.9
 $21.2
$7.0
 $437.2



$2,356.1
Indiana $28.8
 $1,154.3
 $1,494.8
 $-33.8
 $568.5
 $206.3
 $7.1




$130.4
Kentucky
$58.5
 $1,247.5
 $2,041.4
 $918.5
 $2,019.3
 $28.0
 $29.3
 $0.1

$15.0

Maine


$235.0
 $36.2
 $40.2







Michigan
$11.6
 $160.5
 $175.4
 $384.0
 $96.2





$10.0
 $2.4
Mississippi $903.7
 $882.3
 $76.7
 $366.6
 $594.5
 $297.7
$-1.7
 $109.1




Ohio
$10.6
 $25.3
 $187.2
 $55.6








Oklahoma $6.6
 $976.3
 $3,512.7
 $493.6
 $43.6
 $468.6
 $888.0
 $20.7
 $12.0
 $47.1
 $50.0
 $16.3
$1.8
Oregon $158.6
 $2,781.9
 $5,699.0
 $3,676.7
 $1,631.4
 $0.9
$38.2



$477.2
Pennsylvania
$1.0
 $88.0
 $1,233.9
 $543.6
 $59.3
 $301.9
 $135.2





South Carolina

$950.0
 $-465.0
 $313.8
 $435.0







Other $35.6
$3.1
 $-0.3

$22.2
 $12.0
 $13.9




Total $1,256.5
 $6,476.5
 $16,086.9
 $8,463.3
 $5,217.9
 $3,623.6
 $1,254.2
 $670.9
 $135.1
 $47.1
 $50.0
 $31.3
 $2,973.7
 $4.2
Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, 2012-2022 data from Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI);
2009-2011 data from Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS).
• Other indicates Headquarters, Regional, or other non-State divisions.
• Negative numbers reflect fund adjustments made throughout the year.
• Totals may not exactly match sum over divisions due to rounding.

Conservation Practice Implementation

Conservation practices are planned and applied at the land unit level. The land unit is the smallest unit of land that has a permanent or contiguous boundary, a common land cover and land management, and a common owner or a common producer. The following tables include data for the fiscal years since enactment of the 2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (Farm Bill) in 2009.

This RCA release uses an updated field definition. Heretofore the National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD) Land Unit Id was used to represent fields wherever estimates of unique acres treated were required. This identifier is found in the planning land unit database layer. However, since conservation plans are often updated as producers’ conservation decisions evolve over time, there can be multiple land unit identifiers associated with the same field in NPAD. This can result in overestimating the number of fields and the associated unique acres. The Resource Analytics Lab has used GIS to develop a shape based algorithm to eliminate the overcounting of fields by selecting the single best shape out of the multiple shape based identifiers associated with the same field.

As conservation practices are measured in different units (acres, feet, square feet, etc.), the challenge for reporting performance at various levels is how to aggregate across practices. Although practices may affect resources beyond the land unit boundary, or be applied only on part of the land unit, the land unit does provide a common metric to aggregate over practices since each applied practice is associated with a specific land unit. Analysis of the data reveals that most practices are measured in acres and most of the practice applied amounts match the land unit acres of the field on which the practice was applied. Therefore, land unit acreage is the metric on which the acres of land receiving conservation treatment are calculated.

The data presented in this section reflect the fiscal year in which conservation practices were applied, which can occur at any point during the duration of the HFRP contract. Totals presented here are not comparable to program enrollment acres or contract acres.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation

The following table summarizes land unit acres by fiscal year. Here, land unit acres are counted once when the program has been used to apply one or more practices on that land unit in a given fiscal year. Therefore, land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation (including practice count),
by Fiscal Year
HFRP Practices
State 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count
Arkansas















22
 1
 120
 11
 120
 5





California



10,304
 25
 4,414
 43
 10,951
 20
 9,404
 83

1,211
 8











Indiana 1,085
 1

52
 6





















Kentucky





















251
 1



Mississippi



279
 9
 31
 51

48
 3



1,460
 184
 19
 35







Oklahoma



167
 2

751
 5

159
 2













Oregon



69
 11

20
 10

140
 10
 273
 9



2
 11





Pennsylvania

















87
 6
 139
 18
 138
 9



South Carolina



















845
 4





Total 1,085
 1

10,870
 53
 4,444
 94
 11,722
 35
 9,453
 86
 299
 12
 1,485
 17
 1,482
 185
 226
 52
 1,106
 38
 389
 10



Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD), October 2022.
• Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.
Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation by Practice

The following set of chart/table combinations present conservation practice data grouped by purpose: Fish & Wildlife Habitat and Forest Land Conservation. Any practices not included in one of these groups are included in an All Other category. Data for practices in the All Other category can be downloaded in the Farm Bill Conservation Programs Profile csv file.

Note that there is some overlap between these groupings, since some practices address multiple resource concerns. Here land unit acres are counted each time a practice is applied on that land unit in the fiscal year. Therefore land unit acres may be counted multiple times across practices, practice groupings, and fiscal years.
To learn more about specific conservation practices, see the National Handbook of Conservation Practices.

Conservation Practices Related to Fish & Wildlife

The following chart and table includes practices that are related to Fish & Wildlife Habitat Management. The environment that NRCS helps its clients conserve, maintain, and improve is also habitat for fish & wildlife and other biological resources. While every practice and management action taken on the land has some effect on biological resources, the following practices are specifically related to fish & wildlife habitat.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation, FY 2009-2022

Only practices representing a significant portion of the total for the period are included in the above chart. If applicable, practices not included are summed into the All Other category.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation (including practice count) by Fiscal Year
HFRP Fish & Wildlife Habitat Practices
Practice Name Practice Code 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count
Access Control 472





63
 11
 12
 1



21
 1

30
 2







Early Successional Habitat Development/Management 647





4
 2



















Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats 643



2
 2
 88
 12

31
 1





90
 6
 785
 1





Riparian Forest Buffer 391





5
 2









19
 1







Stream Habitat Improvement and Management 395









2,423
 2















Upland Wildlife Habitat Management 645



138
 2

35
 2

233
 5
 779
 4
 1,851
 34
 234
 7
 32
 7
 328
 4



Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management 644

















23
 2
 22
 1





Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD), October 2022.
• Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.
• Watering Facility (614) is not included in the above table. It is included for the purposes of this report in the All Other Practices category.

The following table includes program information under which the above practices related to Fish & Wildlife Habitat Management were applied. These data reflect the geographic extent of the land treated with fish & wildlife habitat practices by each conservation program during a fiscal year. Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years, but are only counted once per fiscal year.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation (including practice count) by Fiscal Year
HFRP Fish & Wildlife Habitat Practices
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count
Land Unit Acres treated by at least one practice



71
 4
 31
 27
 20
 3
 1,242
 3
 140
 5
 273
 5
 1,420
 34
 139
 18
 809
 9
 323
 4



Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD), October 2022.
• Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.
Conservation Practices Related to Forest Land Conservation

The following chart and table includes practices that are related to Forest Land Conservation. The goals of these practices are to restore and protect forest resources and improve fish and wildlife habitat and are related to: tree planting; forest stand improvement; thinning; prescribed burning; and controlling invasive plants. Note that only practices applied on grazed forest or forest land are included.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation, FY 2009-2022

Only practices representing a significant portion of the total for the period are included in the above chart. If applicable, practices not included are summed into the All Other category.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation (including practice count) by Fiscal Year
HFRP Forest Land Conservation Practices
Practice Name Practice Code 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count
Access Control 472





61
 10
 12
 1



21
 1

30
 2







Early Successional Habitat Development/Management 647





4
 2



















Firebreak 394



63
 1
 52
 5







424
 7
 120
 8







Forest Stand Improvement 666 1,085
 1

82
 4
 52
 5
 110
 3



21
 1
 1,305
 22
 60
 4
 788
 3





Forest Trails and Landings 655





31
 1





21
 1

30
 2







Fuel Break 383







16
 1

















Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 595







649
 1





1,860
 34









Prescribed Burning 338



63
 1
 47
 4







4,121
 70
 120
 8







Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats 643



0
 1
 88
 12









90
 6
 785
 1





Riparian Forest Buffer 391





5
 2









19
 1







Road/Trail/Landing Closure and Treatment 654













21
 1











Tree/Shrub Establishment 612



151
 5
 5
 1
 685
 5





201
 4

5
 3





Tree/Shrub Site Preparation 490





5
 1
 1,297
 2





109
 3









Upland Wildlife Habitat Management 645



138
 2

35
 2

140
 1
 779
 4
 1,798
 31
 30
 2
 10
 6
 251
 1



Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD), October 2022.
• Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.

The following table includes program information under which the above practices related to Forest Land Conservation were applied. These data reflect the geographic extent of forest and grazed forest land treated with conservation practices by each conservation program during a fiscal year. Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years, but are only counted once per fiscal year.

Land Unit Acres Receiving Conservation (including practice count) by Fiscal Year
HFRP Forest Land Conservation Practices
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count Acres Count
Land Unit Acres treated by at least one practice 1,085
 1

132
 14
 31
 43
 771
 15

140
 1
 273
 8
 1,429
 171
 19
 33
 787
 13
 251
 1



Notes:
• Data Source: USDA-NRCS, National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD), October 2022.
• Land unit acres may be counted multiple times across fiscal years.

More Information

The data in this report in CSV format (file includes all titles and table notes) can be downloaded here.

Selected data for RCA programs reports in excel format (machine readable flat files) can be found here.

Return to the RCA Data Viewer.

For more information about NRCS Conservation Programs, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/

Citation for this website:
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI) 2012-2022 Data October 2022
Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS) 2009-2011 Data
National Planning and Agreements Database (NPAD) October 2022
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC. 31 March 2023*
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/rca-data-viewer/>
*[use date the website was accessed]