New Jersey NRCS Conservation Programs

Next State Technical Committee Meeting: Monday, February 9, 2009, at 10 a.m. at NRCS State Office, 220 Davidson Avenue 4th Floor, Somerset, NJ .

Participation in our conservation programs is voluntary. NRCS accepts applications for programs throughout the year, but establishes funding periods to facilitate application review and contract development. Link to the specific program pages provided below for these dates and other program details.

• Farm Bill Programs
• Other NRCS Programs
• Opportunities for Conservation Partnerships through NRCS Programs
• What is a Conservation Plan?
• New Jersey Conservation Success Stories - Learn what New Jersey land managers are doing to protect our precious natural resources in the Garden State!
• NRCS Office Locations in New Jersey
• New Jersey Outreach
• Small Scale Small Field Conservation - East Region - practices and concepts to manage natural resource concerns on small farms

Farm Bill Programs

The program information presented on this website is based on program rules developed under the 2002 Farm Bill. With passage of the 2008 Farm Bill (Conservation, Food and Energy Act of 2008) in May, statutory language changes mean new program rules need to be written by the Department. These rule changes may impact how New Jersey implements some of our programs.

The 2009 program information will be updated after consultation with the State Technical Committee once the new rules are approved for use and prior to any 2009 funding decisions. All applicants will have ample opportunity to review the rule changes and contract terms and will be required to comply with all applicable rules and requirements in place at the time of contract obligation.

These documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Applying for Federal Farm Conservation Programs (54 kb) UPDATED OCTOBER 22, 2008 - Explains the application process for New Jersey producers who want to improve soil conditions, reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff, develop habitat for declining species, improve irrigation water use, and more!

Conservation Planning Worksheet (35 kb) - Documents specific information about your operation to assist NRCS in developing the conservation plan required for contract development. (Required as part of a complete application.)

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)** - Reduces the economic risk of adopting new conservation measures for limited resource, beginning, or full-time farmers.

 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) - Through CREP, an FSA-administered program, farmers can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible land.

 

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - Through CRP, an FSA-administered program, you can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland.

 

Conservation Security Program (CSP)  - Rewards producers who are actively protecting soil and water quality on their cropland and pasture.  This program is offered in selected watersheds when funding is available, and will ultimately be offered in all New Jersey Watersheds. Interested producers should review the CSP workbook so that they are sure to be eligible when their watershed is announced for participation.

 

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)** - Provides assistance to install permanent measures or adopt new management strategies that address existing resource concerns on farms

• Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)- Competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. Application periods are set nationally. Funding opportunities are announced on the federal website Grants.gov. Grants are available through both the national and statewide programs.

Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) Federal dollars to support State, local and Non-Governmental Organizations in farmland preservation efforts

 

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)** - Provides funding to restore and protect private grasslands, pasturelands, and certain other lands while maintaining the areas in grass

 

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)** - Offers landowners a chance to receive payments for restoring and protecting wetlands on their property

 

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)** - Encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support targeted wildlife populations of National, State, and local significance

**Applications to NRCS Programs are accepted on a continuing basis.  Application Periods are set each funding year to facilitate review of applications and award of contracts. To be reviewed for funding in a current year, your application must be received by the Application Period Close Date for that year.

Other NRCS Programs

Conservation Partnership Initiative (CPI) New Program in NJ in 2005  - A voluntary program established to foster conservation partnerships that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds and airsheds of special significance.

• National News Release (2004) about Conservation Partnership Initiative Grants
   

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) - Voluntary conservation technical assistance to land-users, communities, units of state and local government, and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing conservation systems. This assistance is for planning and implementing conservation practices that address natural resource issues. It helps people voluntarily conserve, improve and sustain natural resources.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) - to support grazing operations, NRCS works with the Garden State Grazing Coalition on this effort.

Garden State Grazing Coalition

National Resources Inventory (NRI) - A statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands.

Plant Materials Program - involves the development, testing and application of plants for various site conditions. New Jersey hosts the Cape May Plant Materials Center (PMC) that serves the Atlantic Coastal States.

Cape May Plant Materials Center

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) - more regional in scope and usually involve working with units of government to improve various resource conditions

• North Jersey RC&D - serving Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties.
• South Jersey RC&D - serving Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem Counties.
• National RC&D website

Soil Survey Program - provides basic technical information to land users and involves the development of county soil surveys and the associated interpretation of soil data for various land uses

Watersheds - more regional in scope and usually involve working with units of government to improve various resource conditions

National NRCS website for Programs

The Conservation Plan - A Basic Tool for Landowners

The Conservation Plan is a written record of management decisions and conservation practices planned for the farm and larger tracts of privately held property. This Plan can be used to direct the landowner to available programs, such as the Farm Bill Programs, designed to help implement conservation on private lands.  After soil, water, air, plant and animal resources on the property are inventoried and evaluated, the NRCS Soil Conservationist will review several alternatives for the landowner's consideration. The alternatives the landowner chooses to implement are recorded in the conservation plan. This written plan becomes a primary tool for better management of the natural resources on the property and can be used to direct the landowner to available programs, such as the Farm Bill Programs, designed to help implement conservation on private lands. This plan is often developed through the Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTA).

This document requires Adobe Acrobat.
What is a Conservation Plan? (162kb)
¿Qué es un Plan de Conservación? (211kb)

 Contact: Janice Reid, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, 732-537-6042

Last Modified: January 08, 2009