DOVER, N.H. — The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve privately owned and tribal lands through two distinct easement programs: Agricultural Land Easements (ALE), and Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). Through ALE, NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations to protect working agricultural lands and to limit non-agricultural uses. Through WRE, NRCS helps Indian tribes and private landowners to conserve and restore the functions and values of enrolled wetlands.
New Hampshire NRCS accepts ACEP applications on a continuous basis, however, there will be three application batching dates established for the 2017 program year:
- February 6
- April 10
- June 12
Applications will not be ranked until all required applicant eligibility documents have been filed and are determined complete by NRCS. Eligible applications with a ranking score above the minimum threshold (at least 50% of the maximum available ranking points) will be tentatively selected for funding. Funding offers will be made on tentatively selected applications on a first come, first served basis until available funds are exhausted. Ineligible applications, and those received after the published batching date, will be deferred until the next sequential batching date. Applications received after June 12, 2017, and remaining ineligible applications, will be deferred for consideration in the 2018 program year.
Entities and landowners interested in pursuing ALE and WRE should contact their local NRCS Field Office, or the NH Easement Staff for application information. The ALE application form and WRE application form, along with more information on both programs, can be found on the NH NRCS web site: www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov under the Programs/ Easements tab.
–USDA NRCS
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