The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve working agricultural lands and restore wetlands impacted by agricultural production. Under the Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) component, NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations protect working important agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) component, NRCS works with landowners directly to restore, protect, and enhance eligible wetlands historically impacted by agricultural production.
The funding is provided through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), created by the 2014 Farm Bill to encourage private owners to maintain land for farming and ranching and to protect critical wetland resources for wildlife habitat and water quality. Through the voluntary sale of an easement, landowners limit future development to protect these key resources.
Applications may be submitted at any time through the year, but for consideration for this fiscal year’s funding complete applications must be submitted to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Office by the specified cut-off dates, to be announced soon.
What's New in ACEP?
The new 2019 Farm Bill changes some provisions of the ACEP from the prior Farm Bill. Until the agency drafts new program rules to reflect the 2019 legislation, applications will be administered under the 2018 rules. The new 2019 Farm Bill provisions will be reflected in the 2020 application ranking and eligibility requirements.
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Benefits
Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) protect the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses. Land protected by agricultural land easements provides additional public benefits, including environmental quality, historic preservation, wildlife habitat and protection of open space.
Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and protect biological diversity by restoring wetlands historically impacted by agricultural production.
Agricultural Land Easements (ALE)
NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and shrubland. Eligible partners include Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs.
Under the Agricultural Land component, NRCS may contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement. Where NRCS determines that grasslands of special environmental significance will be protected, NRCS may contribute up to 75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.
Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE)
NRCS also provides technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands historically impacted by agricultural production through the purchase of a wetland reserve easement. For acreage owned by an Indian tribe, there is an additional enrollment option of a 30-year contract.
Through the wetland reserve enrollment options, NRCS may enroll eligible land through:
Permanent Easements – Permanent Easements are conservation easements in perpetuity. NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 75 to 100 percent of the restoration costs.
30-year Easements – 30-year easements expire after 30 years. Under 30-year easements, NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
Term Easements - Term easements are easements that are for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State laws. NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the term easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
30-year Contracts – 30-year contracts are only available to enroll acreage owned by Indian tribes, and program payment rates are commensurate with 30-year easements.
For wetland reserve easements, NRCS pays all costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office, including survey costs, appraisal fees, title insurance, and closing costs.
Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership - The 2014 Farm Bill replaced the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program with the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership as an enrollment option under ACEP - WRE. WREP continues to be a voluntary program through which NRCS signs agreements with eligible partners to leverage resources to carry out high-priority wetland protection, restoration and enhancement projects.
Partner benefits through WREP agreements include:
- Wetland restoration and protection in critical areas
- Ability to cost-share restoration or enhancement beyond NRCS requirements through leveraging
- Able to participate in the management or monitoring of selected project locations
- Ability to use innovative restoration methods and practices
Eligibility
Land eligible for Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) includes cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and limited acreage of nonindustrial private forest land. NRCS will prioritize applications that protect agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land and those that maximize the protection of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use.
To enroll working agricultural lands, NRCS enters into cooperative agreements with eligible partners. Each easement is required to have an agricultural land easement plan that promotes the long-term viability of the land.
Land eligible for Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) includes wetlands historically impacted by agricultural production that can be successfully and cost-effectively restored. NRCS will prioritize applications based on the feasibility of restoration and the easement's potential for protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
To enroll wetlands, NRCS enters into purchase agreements with eligible private landowners or Indian tribes that include the right for NRCS to develop and implement a wetland reserve restoration easement plan. This plan serves as the basis for appropriate and feasible practices to restore, protect, and enhance the wetland’s functions and values.
How to Apply
To enroll land through Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) , landowners establish farm or ranch records and USDA program eligibility with USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), and then apply to eligible entities, such as land trusts. Eligible entities select the priority parcels, commit matching funds, and submit a complete application packet to the NRCS State Office including the entity application (CPA-41) and the landowner parcel sheet (CPA-41A), along with requisite attachments. Multiple parcels for different landowners may be submitted under one entity application packet. Entity eligibility, entity matching funds, and landowner eligibility must be documented at the time of application submission.
To Apply for Agricultural Land Easements (ALE):
To enroll land through Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE), landowners may apply at any time at the local USDA Service Center. Landowner eligibility must be documented at the time of application submission.
To Apply for Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE):
The above and below documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader 
Application Ranking Forms
More Information
To learn how to get started with NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted
Contact
Scott Crockett
State Resource Conservationist
Phone: (907) 761-7758
Email: Scott.Crockett@usda.gov
