NRCS Announces Second Application Sign-ups for Agricultural Land Easements

(Washington, D.C., April 29, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is establishing a second national deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for fiscal year 2026 assistance in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The new deadline for entities to apply is May 29, 2026. NRCS is providing up to $200 million in funding for the application period for agricultural land easements.

"At NRCS, we are putting Farmers First by actively working to preserve and protect America's agricultural land for future generations," said NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt. "Through voluntary conservation easements, and strategic partnerships, we are committed to slowing the loss of productive farmland and keeping working lands in the hands of farmers and ranchers."

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, delivers the largest long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades, delivering over $4 billion in ACEP funding. NRCS began implementation this year.

While NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis, NRCS uses application cutoff periods to assess and rank applications based on their potential conservation impact. NRCS is offering a second national application period for ACEP Agricultural Land Easements with a May 29, 2026, application deadline. A complete Agricultural Land Easement application only requires the following:

1. Completed form NRCS-CPA-41A, "Parcel Sheet for Entity Application for an Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) Agreement",
2. Proof of ownership,
3. Written pending offer,
4. Map or geospatial boundary of proposed easement (NRCS provides an online tool to help you create this map with a geospatial boundary) , and
5. Documented access to the easement.

Landowners are encouraged to complete eligibility paperwork with their local Farm Service Agency county office as soon as possible.

Through conservation programs, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency, and contribute to the nation's broader effort to improve natural resource conditions on America's private lands.

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)

 ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands; protect the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land that negatively affect the agriculture and conservation values; and protect grazing and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible land.

Agricultural land easements provide cost-share assistance to eligible entities to acquire easements from qualifying landowners, preserving agricultural use, including grazing, and protecting associated conservation values on eligible land.

How to Apply

Entities and landowners interested in fiscal year 2026 funding should apply through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center. All applications must be received by May 29, 2026, to be considered in the second round of funding for fiscal year 2026. Funding is provided through a competitive process. NRCS will hold applications received after this date and consider them for subsequent rounds, as funding permits. Interested applicants can view additional state's ranking dates online.

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.