The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the United States Department of Agriculture is currently open for applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) until November 13, 2023. This program, which falls under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is aimed at supporting conservation efforts that have a positive impact on California’s environment during this fiscal year.
Carlos Suarez, the NRCS California State Conservationist, emphasizes that the IRA plays a crucial role in safeguarding farmlands, ranchlands, and wetlands. ACEP’s primary objective is to assist landowners and land trusts in the preservation and enhancement of wetlands and operational farms through the establishment of conservation easements. ACEP comprises two distinct components: Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE).
ACEP-ALE is tailored to shield agricultural land from non-agricultural development by employing conservation easements. It is accessible to private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and government entities. Conversely, ACEP-WRE aids landowners in the protection and improvement of previously degraded wetlands.
The IRA places a particular emphasis on lands capable of reducing or capturing greenhouse gas emissions. In the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024, the program gives priority to areas with organic soils, lands previously under cultivation, and wetlands that have experienced degradation.
Although NRCS accepts ACEP applications year-round, funding determinations for the Fiscal Year will be made by December 22, 2023. It is important to note that landowners maintain their title to the land and retain control over access and recreational use. This initiative underscores NRCS’s ongoing commitment to collaborating with private landowners and conservation partners in the pursuit of environmental conservation.