Through the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program's Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) component, NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing Agricultural Land Easements 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 American Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland, rangeland or grassland protection programs.
Under the Agricultural Land Easement 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.
Benefits
Agricultural Land Easements 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.
Who Is Eligible
Land eligible for agricultural easements includes cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and 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 land through agricultural land easements, NRCS enters into agreements with eligible partners.
Grasslands of Special Significance
Conservation easements can support the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) by keeping working lands working as intact range. If you have property that lies within one of the Sage Grouse core areas it may, as a grassland of special environmental significance, qualify for the higher NRCS contribution of up to 75 percent. Please contact the land trust of your choice for further information on participating in ACEP-ALE.
How to Apply
Landowners and entities interested in using conservation easements to address natural resource concerns can submit applications at any time. Though signup is continuous, funding selections are made at specific times during the fiscal year. The current application cutoff is February 5, 2021. News Release: USDA Sets Agricultural Conservation Easement Application Cutoff Date for February 5
If you are interested in an Agricultural Land Easement contact one of the entities eligible to hold ALE easements in Montana. Eligible entities may submit proposals to the NRCS state office to acquire conservation easements on eligible land.
Fiscal Year 2021 Information:
Montana Success Stories
Prior-Year ACEP-ALE Montana Archives
More Information
For more information and updates about ACEP-ALE, please refer to the national NRCS ACEP Web site. Further information on ACEP-ALE in Montana is also available from the following NRCS employees:
Contacts
Maureen Meagher, Program Specialist (ACEP-WRE, WRP)
Phone: 406-587-6748
Email: Maureen.Meagher
Allen Persinger, Program Manager for Easements
Phone: 406-587-6873
