The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon is accepting applications from agricultural producers and forest landowners for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The ACEP program helps producers enroll working lands and wetlands into conservation easements.
While NRCS accepts ACEP applications year-round, the deadline to be considered for the fiscal year 2024 funding cycle is December 15, 2023. Applications received after this date will automatically be considered during the next funding cycle.
ACEP enrollment options include:
- ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE): Helps restore, protect and enhance wetlands on eligible land. Wetland reserve easements are either perpetual, 30-years, or maximum duration under state law, or 30-year contracts (for Indian Tribes).
- ACEP-Agricultural Land Easements (ALE): Protects farmlands and grasslands by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land. Agricultural Land Easements are either perpetual or the maximum duration allowed under State law.
State Technical Committees, composed of conservation and agricultural-related agency and organization representatives, work with NRCS Oregon to identify resource priorities and how best to address them. NRCS then sets state-specific ranking dates to evaluate applications for funding that account for producer needs, staff workload and ensure potential participants have ample opportunities to apply.
NRCS uses a uniform ranking process to assess the site vulnerability, existing conditions, and identify potential resource concerns on a unit of land. After all applications are ranked, those scoring highest are selected for funding. Due to funds availability and demand for the program, the number of applications selected each year may vary.
Find more information about the program on Oregon’s ACEP website. To learn more or apply, please contact your local NRCS field office or Eric Moeggenberg, NRCS Oregon’s easement specialist, at [email protected] or 541-499-9107.