USDA-NRCS in Georgia Offers a Combined Sign-Up for Conservation Easements Programs

State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph, for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia, today announced a combined conservation easement program sign-up through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for fiscal year 2026. This sign-up concludes on Nov. 14, 2025.

While customers can apply year-round, this application ranking date announcement is for all conservation easement programs, including the ACEP - Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE), ACEP - Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) and RCPP easements via four separate projects. This sign-up is in addition to the recent land care focused sign-up announced on Sept. 11, 2025. Customers should discuss these sign-up options with their local conservationists or identified RCPP partners to see if any are right for them.

"This is another farmer first focused combined sign-up." said Rudolph. "We are working with our easement minded customers, partners and staff to streamline the application process and get these resources in the hands of approved customers in a timelier manner."

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program helps landowners protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or eligible entities, protect working farms through conservation easements.

• ACEP-WRE: Producers and landowners directly apply to NRCS. These easements will protect and restore wetlands and improve wildlife habitat. Eligible lands include lands with hydric soil, such as farmed wetlands or degraded forested wetlands, that can be successfully restored.
• ACEP-ALE: NRCS does not accept applications directly from producers for this program - only from eligible entities. Producers will need to work with an eligible entity, such as a land trust, before working with NRCS. Eligible entities submit applications to NRCS on behalf of producers for protection of working farmland. Land types that could be eligible include cropland, grassland, pastureland and nonindustrial private forestland with prime and statewide important soils.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program uses a partner-driven approach to fund regionally focused projects to address local natural resource concerns. RCPP lead partners may propose projects that have conservation specific goals that identify a need for land protection via conservation easements.

RCPP easements are available for a wider variety of land uses and conservation purposes, driven by the conservation benefits and resource concerns identified in the RCPP project, rather than being limited to the land eligibility requirements of covered programs like ACEP. All RCPP easement projects in Georgia are for perpetual easements on private agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land or associated lands (e.g., riparian areas, floodplains, seasonal or flooded wetlands). The easements offer a variety of restrictiveness levels to address conservation values. Those projects utilize two types of RCPP conservation easements: RCPP United States (U.S.)-held easements where the easement holder is USDA-NRCS, and the acquisition process mimics ACEP-WRE; and RCPP Entity-held easements where the easement holder is an eligible entity who follows the ACEP-ALE-like acquisition process.

Georgia RCPP Projects with Conservation Easements

Georgia Sentinel Landscape (GSL) with the Georgia Conservancy, Inc., Project 2061

Summary: The GSL project will focus on land via entity-held easements that will protect the nation's food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses, while providing an added public benefit of supporting the national defense mission and the traditional military community. Focal Area: Fort Stewart, GeorgiaContact: Jason Alstad, Georgia Conservancy (912) 447-5910 or [email protected]

Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative with the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc., Project 2574

Summary: This project offers U.S.-held easements on private forest land, with the goal to protect forestlands in longleaf pine ecosystems that have viable gopher tortoise populations, building on the existing Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative established in 2015.Focal Area: Lands within the Gopher Tortoise priority area, with sandy soilsContact: Ernest Cook, US Endowment (Contractor), Land/Water Associates 617-697-7758 or [email protected]

The Working Farms Fund with The Conservation Fund, Project 2419

Summary: Protecting urban farmland via entity-held easements in the Working Farms Fund priority area is a key goal. Focal Area: Harris, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Newton, and Rockdale countiesContact: Justin Nickelson, The Conservation Fund 301-509-1206 or [email protected]

West Georgia Conservation Corridors Project with the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc., Project 3823

Summary: Offering both U.S.-held and entity-held easements on private working forest land across west Georgia, from the mountains to the fall line, this project identifies critical working forest corridors that are essential to the forest products industry and that also safeguard critical ecological values. Focal Areas: Cumberland Plateau, Dawson Forest/Upper Etowah River, Paulding County/Dugdown Corridor, and the Chattahoochee Fall Line/Upper Flint/Columbus Corridor around Fort Moore, GeorgiaContact: Ernest Cook, US Endowment (Contractor), Land/Water Associates 617-697-7758 or [email protected]

How to Apply

NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round, but to be included in the FY 2026 funding batch for conservation easement programs, interested producers or entities must apply by Nov.14, 2025. Applications received after this date will be considered for future funding batches. Questions, applications, or other correspondence regarding easement programs can be submitted to the easements email inbox at [email protected].

• ACEP-WRE: Landowners must submit a Conservation Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) at their local USDA Service Center.
• ACEP-ALE: Landowners must first coordinate with an eligible entity. The entity then applies via Entity Application (NRCS-CPA-41) and Parcel Sheet (NRCS-CPA-41a) to the USDA NRCS State Office via [email protected].
• RCPP easements: Landowners should coordinate with the project's respective point of contact listed above before reaching out to NRCS. The landowner would then submit a Conservation Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) at their local USDA Service Center.

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don't have an account, sign up today.

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

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