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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
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ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands and preserve working agricultural lands through conservation easements. The program pays landowners fair market value for voluntarily limiting development and other uses that are incompatible with agricultural production or wetland conservation. Easements are permanent and run with the land regardless of future ownership.
Answer each question — we'll show you exactly what applies to your situation.
Are you an agricultural landowner, operator, or Indian tribe with eligible agricultural land or wetland?
For Agricultural Land Easements: land must be prime or unique farmland threatened by conversion to non-agricultural uses?
For Wetland Reserve Easements: land must be restorable wetland that was previously farmed?
Landowner must agree to perpetual or 30-year easement terms restricting development?
Entity partners apply to NRCS on behalf of willing landowners?