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2014 Farm Bill

2014 Farm Bill. Easements. Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. FRPP. GRP. WRP. ACEP. ACEP has 2 components Agricultural Land Easement Component (ALE) Wetland Reserve Easement Component (WRE). ACEP. The purposes of ACEP include:

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2014 Farm Bill

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  1. 2014 Farm Bill Easements Agricultural Conservation Easement Program FRPP GRP WRP

  2. ACEP • ACEP has 2 components • Agricultural Land Easement Component (ALE) • Wetland Reserve Easement Component (WRE)

  3. ACEP • The purposes of ACEP include: • Combine the purposes and coordinate the functions of the WRP, GRP, and FRPP. • Restore, protect, and enhance wetland on eligible land. • Protect the agricultural use, viability, and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting non-agricultural uses. • Protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring and conserving eligible land.

  4. ACEP • ACEP funded at $400 million in fiscal year 2014, increasing to $500 million in fiscal year 2017, and reducing to $250 million in fiscal year 2018. • While ACEP will require a new regulation for its implementation, there are few new statutory provisions when compared to GRP, FRPP and WRP.

  5. ACEP-ALE – “The Working Lands Program” • ALEs MUST permit a landowner to continue agricultural use. • ALL ALEs must require the land be subject to an “Agricultural Land Easement Plan.” • Secretary is allowed to contribute 75% of the FMV of an ALE in the case of “grassland of special environmental significance.”

  6. ACEP-ALE • The non-Federal contribution for the purchase of an agricultural land easement varies slightly from the 2008 FRPP. • The non-Federal contribution must now be 50% of the Secretary’s contribution, instead of 25% of the purchase price. • This will decrease the amount of landowner donation that can be attributed to the entity match.

  7. 2014 Farm Bill ACEP Wetland Reserve Easement Component • Reduces ownership requirement from 7 years to 24 months • Authorizes waiver process to allow enrollment of CRP land established to trees.

  8. Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) • NRCS will continue to • Hold easements • Keep WRP compensation and eligibility framework from the 2008 Farm Bill. • Priority for enrollment continues to be based on value of the easement for protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds, wildlife and other uses.

  9. Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) • Enrollment Options • Permanent • 30-year Easement • 30 year contract to Indian Tribes • Note WRE eliminates 10 year restoration cost-share only agreements.

  10. 2014 Farm Bill Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Partnerships

  11. RCPP RCPP is a new regional program that: • Furthers the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife on a regional scale • Encourages partners to cooperate with producers • Provides assistance through: • Partnership agreements • Program contracts or easement agreements • Combines and replaces the purposes and functions of: • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) • Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program (CBWP) • Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) • Great Lakes Basin Program for Erosion and Sediment Control

  12. RCPP Covered programs: • Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) • Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) • Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

  13. RCPP Funding Available Funding • $100 Million of Direct RCPP funding each year • 7% of funds from the four covered programs (ACEP, CStP, EQIP, HFRP) reserved annually through April 1st

  14. RCPP • RCPP will implement eligible activities on eligible land through: • Partnership agreements under which NRCS enters contracts and easement agreements with producers and landowners participating in a project with a selected partner; and • Conservation Program Contracts (CPCs) or easement agreements in— • Critical conservation areas – Prairie Grassland; or • In a selected partner project area but who are seeking to implement an eligible activity independent of a partner.

  15. RCPP Funding Allocation • 25% for State Projects • 40% for National Projects • 35% for Projects in Critical Conservation Areas

  16. RCPP RCPP program contracts and easement agreements with producers are implemented through covered programs: • Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) • Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) • Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

  17. RCPP RCPP Purposes are: • To encourage partners to cooperate with producers in: • meeting or avoiding the need for national, State, and local natural resource regulatory requirements related to production on eligible land; and • implementing projects that will result in the installation and maintenance of eligible activities that affect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial private forest operations on a local, regional, State, or multistate basis • To further the regional or watershed scale conservation, restoration and sustainable use of: • Soil • Water • Wildlife • Related natural resources

  18. RCPP • Eligible Land includes: • Cropland • Grassland • Rangeland • Pastureland • Non-industrial private forest land • Other land incidental to agricultural production • Wetlands, • Buffers • Etc.

  19. RCPP Critical Conservation Areas (continued) In addition to the covered programs, the authorities under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566), other than Watershed Rehabilitation provisions, may be used in CCAs.

  20. RCPP Partners are responsible for: • Contributing a significant portion of the overall costs • Conducting outreach and education to eligible producers for potential participation in the project • Acting on a landowner’s or producer’s behalf, if requested by the landowners or producer in applying for assistance • Leveraging financial or technical assistance provided by NRCS with additional funds to help achieve the project objectives. • Conducting and providing an assessment of the project costs and conservation effects

  21. RCPP • In these selected partner project areas, RCPP program assistance is delivered to producers through conservation program contracts and easement agreements under the covered programs.

  22. Red River Basin Initiative • Announcement forthcoming on a targeted effort within the basin. • Secretary and Congressman Peterson to announce on July 2, 2014. • Will target additional funding to assist with flood retention in partnership with RRRA. • Will include funding for ACEP, EQIP, and CStP.

  23. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT www.nrcs.usda.gov/FarmBill Questions may be submitted via Email to: FarmBillQA@wdc.usda.gov

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