# Wildlife Habitat

## Breadcrumb

-  Home 
-  Conservation Basics 
-  Natural Resource Concerns 
-  Wildlife Habitat 

Two-thirds of the land in the lower 48 states is privately owned, and produce much of the country’s food and fiber. They also provide much of our nation’s open space and the habitats that wildlife need.

## On This Page

            - How to Get Assistance
            - Contact Information
            - Related News and Events

NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners manage for wildlife habitat, including integrating wildlife-friendly practices in working lands or restoring and protecting key landscapes.

## Examples of Conservation Practices

### Conservation Cover

                      - See conservation practice .

### Tree/ Shrub Establishment

                      - See conservation practice .

##   Working Lands for Wildlife

Working Lands for Wildlife brings together partners and agricultural producers to help manage land for wildlife and agriculture.

Learn more.

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##   How to Get Assistance

**Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?**

Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.

**Print this information

###         Step 1: Make a Plan    

**To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.**

NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.

###         Step 2: Start an Application    

**We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:**
                      - To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
                      - To meet other eligibility certifications.

Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.

Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.

###         Step 3: Check your eligibility    

**As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:**
                      - An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
                      - A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
                      - A farm number.

If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.

###         Step 4: Rank your application    

**NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them** according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.

###         Step 5: Implement your plan    

**If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.**

Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.

## Find Your Local Service Center

    USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.  

## Related News and Events

Press ReleaseNRCS Announces Second EQIP & RCPP Signup for 2024 FundingApril 16, 2024

NewsNRCS California Launches Two Popular Initiatives to Support Avian Populations on California’s Agriculture LandsApril 15, 2024

Press ReleaseUSDA Announces Third Signup for Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Rhode IslandApril 04, 2024

- - State Technical CommitteeWisconsin State Technical Committee Meeting - April 2024April 18, 2024

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