Conservation Funding Programs

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides cost share assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations.  There is a 5 to 10 year contract period.  For more information contact your county’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (SWCD) or Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) or find sign-up information at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/.

Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Grant Program (Ag NPS) assists farmers in preventing water pollution from agricultural activities by providing technical and cost-share assistance.  The grant program is coordinated at the local level by the SWCD, which identifies priority needs within their county and work with farm operators to prepare grant proposals.  Planning grants are used for farm specific environmental planning that also serves as the groundwork for implementation grants that provide funds to construct or apply best management practices (BMPs) to the farm operation.  For more information contact you local SWCD or visit http://ww.nys-soilandwater.org.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners, which provides annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland.  Annual rental payments are made based on the agricultural rental value of the land, and provide cost-share assistance for up to 50% of the participant’s costs in establishing approved conservation practices.  Participants enroll in CRP contracts for 10 to 15 years.  For more information contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/htm./crpcont03.htm.

Continuous Enrollment Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) is similar to the CRP except that is focuses on smaller parcels of land that provide especially high environmental benefits, and allows enrollment in 10 to 15 year contracts at any time, without a competitive bidding process.  To offer land for continuous sign-up, producers should contact their local FSA or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/crpcont03.htm.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) participants place environmentally sensitive land near streams, lakes, water bodies, and public well-head areas into an approved vegetative cover for a period of 10 to 15 years.  In return, farmers are paid annual rental payments and reimbursed for establishing recognized conservation practices.  CREO is typically the best paying option for the many practices it supports.  For more information contact your county’s FSA, NRCS, SWCD, or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/crepny03.htm.

Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources.  CSP identifies and rewards those farmers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations and provides incentives for other producers to meet those same standards of conservation performance.  A staged, watershed-based implementation will be used until landowners in every water shed have had a chance to participate.  CSP contracts last a minimum of 5 years.  For details CSP in New York contact your NRCS or visit http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/programs/CSP/cspinfo.html.

Debt for Nature Program, also known as the Debt Cancellation Conservation Contract Program is available to persons with FSA loans secured by real estate.  Under this program, a borrower can apply to enter into a conservation contract for 10, 30, or 50 years and have some portion of their debt cancelled.  Borrowers can conserve wildlife habitat and improve the environmental and scenic value of their farms by establishing contracts on marginal cropland and other environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, recreation, and wildlife purposes.  For more information contact your local FSA or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/dfn01.htm.

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, drought, floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out water conservation measures during periods of severe drought.  Emergency practices to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion and other disasters, including drought, may include debris removal, providing water for livestock, fence restoration, grading and shaping of farmland, restoring conservation structures, and water conservation measures.  County FSA committees set eligibility for ECP assistance and cost-share levels.  For more information contact your local FSA or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/ecp00.htm.

Environmental Farm Assistance and Resource Management Program (EFARM) provides reimbursement grants to permitted NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations to help pay for the costs of preparing and updating a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMPs).  For more information contact your CNMP Planner or visit the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation website, www.nysefc.org and click on EFARM.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible participants for the installation or implementation of structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.  The maximum cost-share rate is 75%, except in the case of beginning farmers or other limited resource farmers, for whom the rate is 90%.  Contact your county’s NRCS or find sign-up information online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.

Farmland Protection Program (FPP) provides state assistance payments to eligible counties and towns to cover up to 50% of the costs to develop agricultural and farmland protection plans.  Payments are also available to municipalities to cover up to 75% of the total costs for the purchase of development rights on viable farmland.  Several grants of up to $50,000 each are awarded on a rolling basis each year to counties that apply.  For more information contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and markets or visit http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us.

Farmland Viability provides financial assistance in the form of matching grants to applicants for projects which contribute to overall farm profitability and sound environmental management.  Grant funds may be used by a county to implement a portion of its agricultural and farmland protection plan or may be used by an individual farm to develop or implement a business management plan.  For this program, a CNMP, which meets the requirements of the NRCS Standard NY-312, will be considered a component of a Farmland Viability Plan.  All CNMPs must be developed by a certified or conditionally certified AEM planner.  For more information contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets or visit http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us.

Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) promotes sound stewardship of non-industrial, privately-owned forest land by offering owners technical assistance, educational programs and cost-sharing grants for issues relating to forest and wildlife management.  The NYS DEC Bureau of Private Land Services is primary provider of technical assistance in this program.  DEC foresters should be contacted before a land-owner initiates any projects with hopes of receiving cost-share payments.  The program will support riparian forest buffers, forest regeneration, invasive plant control and other forestry projects.  For more information contact your local SWCD or visit the DEC Division of Lands and Forest website http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlk/privland/flep/index.html.

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) provides financial assistance to municipalities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the purchase of development rights on eligible prime farmland.  Eligible entities apply on behalf of landowners that are currently enrolled in a local farmland protection program.  Entities who apply to the FRPP for matching funds to purchase conservation easements must provide a minimum of 25% of the appraised fair market value in cash, or 50% of the purchase price of the conservation easements  Contact you local NRCS office, or visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) funds restoration and preservation of rangeland, pastureland, and grassland with easements, rental agreements, and cost-share payments.  Eligible GRP land includes private grassland, shrub land, land containing forbs, or land located in an area historically dominated by grassland, shrub land, or forbs with the potential to serve as animal or plant habitat.  The program offers several enrollment options.  For more information contact your local NRCS, FSA, SWCD or find sign-up information online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/GRP/.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offers cost-sharing and low-interest financing through its agricultural programs to help farms throughout the State save energy, develop new products, and increase profits.  NYSERDA has provided funding to help farmers lower on-farm energy costs, use more environmentally friendly manure-management methods, improve profitability through value-added products, and generate their own electricity.  For more information call 1-866-NYSERDA or visit http://www.nyserda.org/incentives.asp.

New York State Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (NYSGLCI) is a voluntary and cooperative effort led by a coalition representing several producer, conservation, scientific, and environmental organizations.  The collaborative process provides technical assistance from NRCS to owners and managers of private grazing land to voluntarily conserve or enhance their resources to meet ecological, economic, and social demands.  Consultants are available to assist with species selection, the planning and design of grazing systems, and assistance with ration balancing with managed intensive grazing.  For more information contact your local SWCD or call NYSGLCI at 607-753-0851 ext. 117.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) provides technical and financial assistance to landowners to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property. NRCS works with the landowner to develop a wildlife habitat development plan, and provides cost-share payments to landowners under agreements that are usually 5 to 10 years in duration, depending upon the types of practices to be installed.  Interested landowners may enter into cost-share agreements at any time.  For more information contact your local NRCS, SWCD or find sign-up information online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides technical and financial assistance to landowners to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat area on their property.  NRCS works with the landowner to develop a wildlife habitat development plan, and provides cost-share payments to landowners under agreements that are usually 5 to 10 years in duration, depending upon the types of practices to be installed.  Interested landowners may enter into cost-share agreements at any time.  For more information contact your local NRCS, SWCD or find sign-up information online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/.