The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new program to help landowners conserve grasslands
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new program to help landowners conserve grasslands through easements and long-term agreements to preserve and protect the ecological benefits of eligible lands.
The Grassland Reserve Program will protect up to 2 million acres of privately owned grassland, rangeland and pastureland in the nation. Applications will be accepted at USDA service centers beginning on June 30.
Kirby Payne, executive director for the Daviess County Farm Service Agency, said the program will offer several enrollment options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, rental agreements (in 10-, 15-, 20- or 30-year duration) and restoration agreements.
For permanent easements, participants will receive a payment based on the fair market value of the property less the grazing value. For 30-year easements, the payment will equal 30 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. For rental agreements, the payment will be 75 percent of the grazing value in annual payments for the length of the agreement.
Grasslands contribute to local economies, provide for biological diversity and play a key role in environmental quality.
“This program is important,” Payne said, “because each year large expanses of grasslands are converted to other land uses, such as cropland and urban development. This voluntary program will help protect grasslands and thereby help ensure this resource is available to future generations.”
The program is funded at $49.9 million for fiscal year 2003. Payne said applications will be accepted on a continuous basis, and if funding is exhausted, eligible applicants will remain on file until additional funding becomes available.
To participate in GRP, offers must be private land that includes at least 40 contiguous acres. Additional eligibility criteria apply.
For information on the Grassland Reserve Program contact the nearest USDA service center or visit the USDA Web site, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002.