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

• Wisconsin Program Participant Information  (48kb pdf)
• Wisconsin Easement Summary  (34kb pdf)
• Wisconsin Ranking Criteria Spreadsheet  (188kb  xls)
• FRPP Ranking Factor Chart  (57kb  xls)
• Application Form (CPA1200 form for landowners  25kb  pdf)
• Application Forms for Entities:  SF424     SF424A     SF424B    (all forms pdf)
• FRPP Application Checklist (27kb pdf)
• FRPP Appraisal Specifications (76 kb  pdf)  Please review the appraisal specifications carefully before submitting application packages.  Applications may be rejected if these specifications are not followed.

Additional Information

• National FRPP Information
• Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program FAQ (188 kb pdf)
• Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Fact Sheet (77 kb pdf)
• American Farmland Trust
• AFT On-line Library, funded by the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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