Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Fiscal Year 2025 Funding For Agricultural Conservation Easements through the Investing in America Agenda

USDA Announces New Funding for Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for Fiscal Year 2025

Washington, Sept. 4, 2024 — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced new funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year 2025. This initiative is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda and is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate action investment in history.

Key Points:

• Purpose: ACEP helps landowners conserve, restore, and protect wetlands, productive agricultural lands, and grasslands at risk of conversion. These ecosystems are crucial for carbon sequestration and other natural resource benefits.
• Funding: The Inflation Reduction Act provides $1.4 billion in additional funding for ACEP over five years, with $500 million allocated for fiscal year 2025. This funding aims to maximize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through conservation easements.
• Program Administration: The program is administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Applications are accepted year-round for Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE).
• Application Deadlines: To be considered for state-led funding cycles, applications must be submitted by October 4, 2024, or December 20, 2024. Unfunded applications from fiscal year 2024 will be re-considered during the October 4 funding cycle.
• Current Priorities:
• ACEP-ALE Priorities: Protecting grasslands at high risk of conversion, agricultural lands threatened by non-agricultural use, and state-specific priorities such as rice cultivation on subsiding organic soils.
• ACEP-WRE Priorities: Restoring land to forests, managing existing forest cover, and addressing geographically specific priorities like former cranberry bogs and wet meadows.
• Program Improvements: NRCS is streamlining ACEP processes, including appraisals and land surveys, and certifying entities that assist with enrollment in agricultural land easements.
• Additional Information: More details on funding and sign-up opportunities for other USDA conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), will be announced soon.

For further information, including details on the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact and program specifics, visit the USDA NRCS website or contact your local NRCS office.