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Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - New Hampshire

The USDA-NRCS's Agricultural Conservation Easement Program helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements.

Contact Information for ACEP:

Email the NRCS, N.H. Programs Team: sm.fpac.nrcs.nh.programs@usda.gov

ACEP Subcategories

Easements under ACEP fall into two different categories: Wetland Reserve Easements - WRE, and Agricultural Land Easements - ALE. Each has different point and requirements. You can learn more about NH specific easement programs below. 

Agricultural Land Easements - ALE

NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing Agricultural Land Easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land.

In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland and shrubland. 

Under the Agricultural Land component, NRCS may contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement. Where NRCS determines that grasslands of special environmental significance will be protected, NRCS may contribute up to 75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.

Learn more about ALE

Wetland Reserve Easements - WRE

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland reserve easement.

Wetlands provide vital resources and ecosystems to terrestrial and aquatic organisms. 

Permanent Easements are conservation easements in perpetuity. NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays up to 100 percent of the restoration costs. NRCS also pays all costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office, including recording fees, charges for abstracts, survey and appraisal fees, and title insurance.

Learn more about WRE

Additional Information

ACEP Funding Pools and Ranking Criteria - New Hampshire

Here are New Hampshire's funding pools and the ranking documents for ACEP.

Learn More

Ready to get started?

Contact your local service center to start your application.

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