Easements

NRCS offers easement programs to landowners who want to maintain or enhance their land in a way beneficial to agriculture and/or the environment. All NRCS easement programs are voluntary. We provide technical help and financial assistance, but local landowners and organizations are needed to make NRCS easement programs successful.

• NRCS is Celebrating 25 Years of Wetland Conservation Easements

Our easement programs include the following:

• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) - provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.
• Emergency Watershed Protection Program - Floodplain Easements

Iowa Easement Owner Newsletter

• May 2018 (PDF)
• January 2018 (PDF)
• May 2017 (PDF)
• October 2016 (PDF)

Easement Web Resources

• Iowa NRCS Area Easement Specialists Map (PDF)
• Interactive NRCS National Easement Map
• Geospatial Data Gateway - Environmental and Natural Resources Data, including Easements

Easement Success Stories

• Northern Iowa Wetland Complex - October 2015 (PDF, 2 MB)