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Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
- Wisconsin
The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) keeps productive
farmland in privately owned agricultural use by assisting States, Tribes,
and local government or non-profit entities with the purchase of conservation easements or development rights on productive farmland,
and on farms containing significant
historical or archaeological resources. Through a cooperative agreement, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
provides up to 50% of the purchase cost for perpetual easements (in
Wisconsin) on eligible farmland.
Applications must be submitted by
March 29, 2013 for FY2013 funding.
....Read the news release
Eligible Farmland
- Contains at least 50% prime, statewide
important, unique, or other productive farmland,
or includes important historical or archaeological sites
- Is privately owned and is part of a working farm
- Has a pending offer for purchase of development rights (conservation easement) from a State, Tribal,
church, hospital, school or local farmland protection program
- Meets highly erodible land provisions of the Food
Security Act
- Has location, size, and existing protections, such as zoning, that support
long-term agricultural use
Who can participate?
State, Tribal, church, hospital, school or local entities with a qualifying farmland protection program can participate. A qualifying program utilizes voluntary easements or other legal devices to protect productive farmland.
NRCS provides up to 50% of the purchase cost of the easement to the cooperating entity. The cooperating entity acquires, manages, and enforces the easement.
Application procedures
Each year the NRCS issues a Request for Proposals, detailing the current application guidelines and priorities.
Eligible entities then submit proposals to the Wisconsin NRCS State Conservationist. The proposal includes:
- An overview of the State, Tribal, local or non-profit farmland protection program
- The amount and source of funds available for easement acquisition
- The criteria used to set acquisition priorities
- Information on pending offers including: parcel size and location, acres of prime farmland, easement cost and duration,
historical or archaeological resources, development pressure, zoning, and local
land use plans.
NRCS evaluates the proposals
using required national ranking criteria
and state criteria developed
with advice from the State
Technical Committee. Cooperative agreements
are prepared for entities selected for participation in the Farm
and Ranch Lands Protection Program.
2013 application
information
Additional Information
For current information on the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program in Wisconsin contact:
Ron Howard, Asst. State Conservationist for Easement Programs 8030 Excelsior Drive
Madison, WI 53717
Phone (608) 662-4422 ext 252 Email:
ron.howard@wi.usda.gov
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