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Tennessee NRCS Announces FY 2021 Application Deadline for Eligible Agricultural Entities and Individual Landowners to Apply for ACEP Deadline to apply is February 8, 2021

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Tennessee announced an application deadline for eligible entities to apply for fiscal year 2021 funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The deadline to apply is Monday, February 8, 2021.

“NRCS may establish additional application cutoff dates based on funding and interest in the ACEP program and, if an additional funding period is approved, a 30-day-minimum application period will be announced,” said Sheldon Hightower, State Conservationist, Tennessee NRCS.

Applications for the ACEP-Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) will only be accepted from eligible entities, not individual landowners. Eligible entities include State or local units of government, Indian Tribes or nongovernmental organizations, such as a conservancy or a land trust. ALE is only available as a perpetual easement.

ACEP's agricultural land easements not only protect the long-term viability of the nation's food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses, they also allow landowners to successfully restore, enhance and protect habitat for wildlife on their lands, reduce damage from flooding, recharge groundwater, and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.

“Tennessee is committed to preserving working agricultural lands to help protect the long-term viability of farming across the landscape as well as to restoring and protecting vital sensitive wetlands that provide important wildlife habitat and improve water quality,” said Hightower.

Qualified individual landowners may apply for the ACEP – Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) Program. Only qualified landowners with a complete application package will be considered for land eligibility determination.

ACEP-WRE can be enrolled as 30-year or perpetual, based on the landowner(s) desired management of the offered property. 30-year easements are valued at 25 percent less than perpetual easements and landowners are responsible for 25 percent of restoration costs whereas perpetual easements are eligible for a 100 percent restoration cost-share. Alternatively, landowners have the option to offer their property at a reduced purchase and/or restoration cost to improve application ranking.

If a landowner is applying for ACEP-WRE on multiple parcels of land, any non-contiguous parcels must be submitted as separate applications. Contiguous multiple parcels may be submitted as one application, provided the ownership is identical for each parcel.

Applications received after the designated cutoff date of Monday, February 8, will be considered in subsequent application periods or in the next program year.

ACEP was re-authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill and authorizes assistance to qualified partners who pursue ‘buy-protect-sell’ transactions under ACEP-ALE. It also requires a conservation plan for highly erodible land that will be protected by an agricultural land easement and increases flexibility for partners to meet cost-share matching requirements.

Through ACEP-ALE, NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing agricultural easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible

land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers keep their land in agriculture.

ACEP-WRE allows landowners to successfully restore, enhance, and protect habitat for wildlife on their lands, reduce damage from flooding, recharge groundwater, and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.

Entities and landowners interested in applying for ACEP-ALE or WRE funding should visit with their local NRCS Service Center.

For more information about the ACEP program, contact Dustin Graham, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (731) 855-0023 ext 3 or visit the Tennessee NRCS website.

MRBI Funding

Watershed

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS} is excited to announce an opportunity for funding and

customer assistance to install practices addressing soil erosion and degraded water quality caused by

gullies and movement of soil. We have several hundred thousand dollars to aid in this critical

conservation effort!

The Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI} is a targeted approach to improve the health of the

Mississippi River Basin. Nutrient contributions, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, have an impact on

the Mississippi River, local drinking water and have caused hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. NRCS and its

partners has selected small watersheds in the North Fork Forked Deer (6 no.) drainage area in the

Mississippi River Basin to support volunteer installation of conservation practices that avoid, control, and

trap nutrient runoff; improve wildlife habitat; and maintain agricultural productivity.

To provide additional information and Q&A, we will host a public call on November 10th at 1 pm CST.

"Call-in Coordinates" - Teleconference Number: 888-844-9904 then Pass Code: 3908145#

Please contact your local service center to apply by November 20, 2020

BEfore and After

NEWS RELEASE

Tennessee Landowners Interested in Improving Natural Resources Encouraged to Apply for NRCS Assistance Deadline to Apply is November 20, 2020 TRENTON, October 19, 2020

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting applications from Tennessee producers and landowners who are interested in implementing conservation practices to improve natural resources on their farm or forest land. Funding is available through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the deadline to apply for fiscal year 2021 funding is November 20, 2020. “We accept applications for the EQIP program on a continuous basis, however only applications received by November 20 will be considered for funding this fiscal year,” said Tennessee NRCS State Conservationist Sheldon Hightower. “EQIP places a priority on water quality, water conservation, and promotes soil health practices by offering financial and technical assistance to address these resource concerns on eligible agricultural land.” EQIP is an incentives program that provides financial assistance for conservation systems such as, but not limited to, water and sediment control basins, grade stabilization structures, cover crop, animal waste management facilities, fencing, and water supply development for improved grazing management, riparian protection, and wildlife habitat enhancement. Applications can be taken at all Tennessee NRCS offices and USDA Service Centers. To locate an office near you, please click on this link: USDA Service Center. Applications MUST be received in your local Service Center by close of business on Friday, November 20, 2020. NRCS continually strives to put conservation planning at the forefront of its programs and initiatives. Conservation plans provide landowners with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of their resources and an appropriate start to improving the quality of soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife on their land. To find out more about EQIP, visit our website at www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov.

EQIP

Ag Day 2019

The Trenton Office staff, along with Dyer & Henry County Field Office staff, participated in a two-day, county wide ag day event for all 4^th graders in the Gibson County Special School District held at the local fairgrounds in Trenton on September 10^th & 11th. A total of 8 different schools which included a home school group participated in the two-day event totaling over 520 students. The Gibson County Ag Day was sponsored by the Gibson County Farm Bureau Women, Gibson Co. SCD, and UT/TSU Extension Service-AgrAbility. The purpose of the festival was to acclimate the students to the Agriculture industry to teach them where our food comes from, and how to manage and take care of what Mother Nature has provided.

The Trenton Field Office presented the Water Quality demonstration for the students. Todd Reynolds, Soil Conservationist Trenton Field Office, Luke Hemby, Gibson Co. SCD County Technician, Emily Pope, Soil Conservationist – Dyersburg Field Office, Ryan Winchester; Soil Conservationist - Paris Field Office & Ryan Blackwood, Soil Conservationist, assisted with this tour over the two-day period. The rainfall simulator was used to demonstrate the raindrop impact, runoff and infiltration that occurs on the different landscapes in the county. Soil pans were taken from a conventional tilled corn crop with no residue present, pasture & a no-till corn crop with heavy residue. The students were involved to let them determine which land use had the greatest runoff and infiltration rates. The clarity and muddiness of the runoff was discussed, and the students learned that soil lost to erosion was the contributor to the muddy water that they might see after a rain event when traveling or maybe even near where they live. The students learned the importance of keeping a cover/residue on the land, especially through the winter months. Additionally, the students were shown how to pace their steps to measure distances in the field. They were also shown a laser level, dumpy level and a survey rod. We demonstrated how we would survey in the field to attain survey shots that might be used to aid in the design of an erosion control structure. The students also got to look through the dumpy instrument to read the correct number on the survey rod.