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October 17, 2011 – Washington Post

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October 17, 2011 – Washington Post

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  1. 2010 marked the 75th anniversary of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the beginning of the federal commitment to conserving natural resources on private lands. Originally established by Congress in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), NRCS has expanded to become a conservation leader for all natural resources, ensuring private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges, like climate change. “If we take care of the land, it will take care of us.” – Hugh Hammond Bennett , First Chief of the SCS October 17, 2011 – Washington Post

  2. United States, USDA, NRCS-Funded Conservation Easements Purposes - Protect and Restore: • Farm and Ranch Lands • Grasslands • Wetlands • Forestlands • Floodplains

  3. Conservation Easement Programs • Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) • Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) • Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) $97,939,657

  4. Current NRCS Held Easements WRP 132/75,605 acres GRP 19/6,539 acres FRPP 9/4,659 acres

  5. Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) Assists landowners to restore and protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrub land and certain other lands and provides assistance for restoration.

  6. GRP Land Eligibility • Privately owned (includes Tribal land) • Grassland for which grazing is the predominant use • Located in an area historically dominated by grassland • Significant ecological value • Must face threat of conversion to due to development, fragmentation or crop production

  7. GRP Enrollment OptionsPermanent Easement • NRCS bears the full cost of acquisition • Easement Compensation based on the lower of: • Market value of encumbered grasslands • Landowner Offer • Geographic Area Rate Cap established by NRCS

  8. Grassland Reserve Program 2012 Geographic Area Rate Caps

  9. GRP Enrollment OptionsRental Agreements • Contract for a period of 10, 15 or 20 years • Must following a grazing plan • Annual grazing rental payment • Priority given to expiring CRP contracts.

  10. Texas Allocation 2009 - $4.259 Million 2010 - $22.6 Million 2011 - $4.6 Million 2012 - $14 Million 60% Easements 40% Rental Contracts

  11. http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.govProgramsGrassland Reserve Program

  12. QUESTION: New Farm Bill or Extension? 2008 Farm Bill Expires September 30, 2012 unless extended. Congress has not passed a new Farm Bill. NRCS does not know what the provisions of the Farm Bill will be concerning Easement Programs.

  13. 2012 • The House Farm Bill, H.R. 6083, Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act of 2012, can be found at:  http://agriculture.house.gov/sites/republicans.agriculture.house.gov/files/documents/HR6083FARRM.pdf • The Senate Farm Bill, S. 3240, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs (ARFJ) Act of 2012, can be found at:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s3240pp/pdf/BILLS-112s3240pp.pdf

  14. 2012 • Subtitle H - Agricultural Conservation Easement Program • Agricultural Land Easements • Cost-share to eligible entities • Combines FRPP & GRP • Wetland Easements • WRP

  15. Claude Ross Easement Programs Specialist 101 South Main Temple, Texas 76501 254.742.9822 Claude.Ross@tx.usda.gov NRCS Programs website:  http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programsFollow on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/NRCSTexas Follow on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/USDANRCSTexas Videos available on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/USDANRCSTexas "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD)."

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