NRCS Announces Conservation Funding Opportunities for FY 2025

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing fiscal year 2025 assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and private landowners for key conservation programs, such as the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While NRCS accepts applications for these programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply by state-specific, application dates to be considered for this year’s funding. Statewide signup cutoff periods for fiscal year 2025 funding for EQIP, RCPP, and AMA is November 1, 2024, January 1, 2025, and March 1, 2025. Applications are due by January 1, 2025 for the first round of funding for CSP. 

Through conservation programs, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change.  

“NRCS conservation programs are good for Pennsylvania’s natural resources and for your operation’s bottom line,” said Denise Coleman, NRCS State Conservationist in Pennsylvania. “Whether this is your first time working with NRCS or you want to take conservation to the next level on your land, we encourage you to contact your local NRCS field office to learn more.”

Applying for Assistance

NRCS accepts applications for its conservation programs year-round. State Technical Committees, composed of representatives from conservation and agricultural-related organizations, work with NRCS to set state-specific, ranking dates to evaluate applications for funding. These dates account for producer needs, staff workload and ensure potential participants have ample opportunity to apply. Producers should apply by their state’s ranking dates to be considered for funding in the current cycle. Funding is provided through a competitive process. Applications received after ranking dates will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.

Producers, landowners and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.

For FY2025, PA NRCS will be utilizing ACT NOW authority to process some applications, submitted by the November 1, 2024 sign-up deadline, enabling the Agency to approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State-determined minimum ranking score. This means customers have a quicker turnaround of knowing if their application was accepted.

Applications that may receive quicker turnaround will focus on cover crops, pollinators, poultry litter management, flares and covers, stream improvement, and forestry.

Program Options

AMA helps agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing or natural resource conservation practices. NRCS administers the conservation provisions while Agricultural Marketing Service and Risk Management Agency implement the production diversification and marketing provisions.

CSP helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation. Whether you are looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop yields, or develop wildlife habitat, we can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals.

EQIP provides cost share assistance for producers to use 170-plus conservation practices to address a wide variety of resource concerns. Within EQIP, Conservation Incentive Contracts allow producers to further target priority resource concerns.

Historically Underserved Producer Benefits

Special provisions are also available for historically underserved producers. For EQIP, historically underserved producers are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services up front. In addition, historically underserved producers can receive higher EQIP payment rates (up to 90% of average cost). NRCS sets aside EQIP funds for historically underserved producers.