North Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) takes pride in the delivery of conservation assistance to thousands of private landowners, offering financial and technical assistance on a competitive basis to eligible producers through many programs and special initiatives.
Looking for documents? Visit our Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)
Quick Links
Programs-North Dakota
Programs-North Dakota
NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. Through these programs the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance for conservation practices.
Partner With Us in North Dakota
Partner With Us in North Dakota
NRCS North Dakota thrives through strong partnerships, collaborating with farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, conservation districts, government agencies, Earth Team volunteers, schools, and local communities.
Soils and Soil Health-North Dakota
Soils and Soil Health-North Dakota
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with its partners, has the leadership role for conducting soil surveys on private lands across the country.
Engineering-North Dakota
Engineering-North Dakota
North Dakota engineering staff provide a blend of structural and biological measure to solve resource concerns related to soil erosion, water quality, agricultural waste management and wetland restoration while meeting the land use objectives.
Land Use and Technical Resources-North Dakota
Land Use and Technical Resources-North Dakota
NRCS North Dakota uses science-based technology and economic analysis to provide conservation planning and assistance to landowners and producers.
Ecological Sciences-North Dakota
Ecological Sciences-North Dakota
The Ecological Sciences Division (ESD) leads the technology for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in ecological, cultural resource, and environmental compliance technologies to ensure science-based conservation for our Nation's resources.
Conservation Compliance-North Dakota
Conservation Compliance-North Dakota
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for providing program participants technical assistance and determinations to assist them in complying with the provisions.
Urban and Small-Scale Agriculture-North Dakota
Urban and Small-Scale Agriculture-North Dakota
NRCS can help provide valuable resources to small-scale and urban farmers in North Dakota. Whether it be compost, irrigation or weed and pest management we have something to help you get started.
North Dakota State Office
Happening in North Dakota
Newsroom and Success Stories
Newsroom and Success Stories
Stay informed with North Dakota’s latest press releases and success stories from the field.
To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences click HERE.
Collaboration with Tribal Nations
Collaboration with Tribal Nations
Consultation, coordination, and collaboration help NRCS North Dakota programs better fit Tribal settings and increase program participation by Tribal Nations, tribal agricultural producers, tribal forest stewards, and landowners.
North Dakota Fact Sheets & Publications
North Dakota Fact Sheets & Publications
NRCS North Dakota Fact Sheets and Publications referencing conservation practice implementation.
Explore local and national downloadable resources.
NRCS North Dakota Accomplishment Reports
NRCS North Dakota Strategic Plan
Outreach and Civil Rights in North Dakota
Outreach and Civil Rights in North Dakota
North Dakota NRCS’s Outreach division provides leadership and funding to ensure all programs and services are accessible to every customer with a strong focus on reaching historically underserved farmers and ranchers.
Careers and Volunteering
Careers and Volunteering
Shape your future and protect North Dakota’s natural resources—start a career or volunteer with NRCS Earth Team today.
Natural Resource Concern Topics
Natural Resource Concern Topics
Discover how NRCS North Dakota supports healthy soils, clean water, thriving plants, resilient wildlife, and sustainable energy for lasting conservation impact.
Public Notices
Public Notices
North Dakota NRCS Public Notices are posted for public review and comment. Specific response options are outlined.
State Programs and Initiatives
NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Through these programs the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, improve soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
Through these programs the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, improve soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
State Payment Schedule
NRCS provides financial assistance for selected conservation practices. The availability and amount of financial assistance can vary between states.
State Technical Committee
State Technical Committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of the natural resources conservation provisions of Farm Bill legislation.
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.
