Helping People Help the Land

program helps farmers and ranchers keep 

working farms in agriculture. Eligible 

partners include American Indian tribes, 

state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations that have 

farmland or grassland protection programs. 

Under the Agricultural Land Easements 

component, NRCS may contribute up 

to 50 percent of the fair market value of 

the agricultural land easement. Where 

NRCS determines that grasslands of 

special environmental significance will be 

protected, NRCS may contribute up to 

75 percent of the fair market value of the 

agricultural land easement. 

Wetland Reserve Easements

NRCS provides technical and financial 

assistance directly to private landowners 

and American Indian tribes to restore, 

enhance, and protect wetlands through the 

purchase of a wetland reserve easement. 

For acreage owned by an American Indian 

tribe, there is an additional enrollment 

option of a 30-year contract. Through the 

wetland reserve enrollment options, NRCS 

may enroll eligible land through:

• Permanent Easements are 

conservation easements in perpetuity. 

NRCS pays 100 percent of the 

easement value for the purchase of 

the easement, and 75 to 100 percent 

of the restoration costs. 

• 30-Year Easements expire after 30 

years. Under 30-year easements, 

NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the 

easement value for the purchase of 

the easement, and 50 to 75 percent of 

the restoration costs. 

• Term Easements last for the maximum 

duration allowed under applicable 

state laws. NRCS pays 50 to 75 

percent of the easement value for 

purchase and between 50 to 75 

percent of the restoration costs. 

Can You Answer “Yes” to 

the Following?

Then the Agricultural Conservation 

Easement Program (ACEP) may be a 

good fit for you.

� I own agricultural land and I am 

interested in protecting the agricultural 

values of that land in perpetuity.

� I own property with wetlands on it that 

have been altered for the purposes 

of agricultural production and am 

interested in removing that land from 

agricultural production and restoring 

and protecting that land for at least 30 

years or possibly in perpetuity.

� I want to expand my existing 

conservation efforts to achieve a higher 

level of environmental stewardship.

� I want to receive compensation 

for enrolling my land in voluntary 

conservation programs. 

What is ACEP?

ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and 

other entities protect, restore, and enhance 

wetlands or protect working farms and 

ranches through conservation easements. 

Under the Agricultural Land Easements 

component, NRCS helps American Indian 

tribes, state and local governments, and 

nongovernmental organizations protect 

working agricultural lands and limit nonagricultural uses of the land. Under the 

Wetland Reserve Easements component, 

NRCS helps to restore, protect, and enhance 

enrolled wetlands.

Agricultural Land Easements

NRCS provides financial assistance to 

partners for purchasing Agricultural Land 

Easements that protect the agricultural 

use and conservation values of land. The 

Agricultural Conservation 

Easement Program (ACEP) 

Is ACEP Right for Me?

nrcs.usda.gov

Natural Resources Conservation Service

SEPTEMBER 2021
AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM (ACEP) 2

• 30-Year Contracts are only available to enroll acreage 

owned by Indian tribes. Program payment rates are 

commensurate with 30-year easements. 

• For Wetland Reserve Easements, NRCS pays all costs 

associated with recording in the local land records 

office, including recording fees, charges for abstracts, 

survey and appraisal fees, and title insurance.

What are the benefits of ACEP?

• Keeps agricultural land in family hands. 

• Provides a means to remove marginal cropland from 

production.

• Provides income.

• Protects our nation’s best agricultural soils or 

grasslands. 

• Preserves wildlife habitat and protects biodiversity, 

including for threatened and endangered species. 

• Protects and restores wetlands and improves water 

quality. 

• Sequesters carbon and helps reduce greenhouse gases. 

How does ACEP work?

Landowners who enroll in ACEP retain private ownership 

of their land but must follow certain land use requirements. 

They must agree to maintain a specific use of their lands. 

Examples include: 

• Agreeing to limit non-agricultural use of land in an 

agricultural land easement.

• Agreeing to cease agricultural activity on a wetland 

easement to protect the conservation value of the 

wetlands. 

Easement holders may lease the rights to undeveloped 

recreational uses like hiking, bird watching, hunting, 

and fishing. 

NRCS may provide landowners enrolled in easements with 

both financial assistance and one-on-one technical support to 

fit their specific land use goals. Easements are also annually 

monitored to ensure compliance with allowable land uses. 

Easements do not: 

• “Take over” land in private ownership – all enrollments 

are voluntary. 

• Cause landowners to lose access to their land. 

• Allow public access-unless specifically agreed to by the 

landowner. 

• Shift the tax burden of the enrolled land to the public. 

ACEP Eligibility

Land eligible for Agricultural Land Easements includes 

cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and 

nonindustrial private forest land associated with an 

agricultural operation. NRCS will prioritize applications 

that protect agricultural uses and related conservation 

values of the land and those that maximize the protection 

of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use. To enroll 

land through Agricultural Land Easements, NRCS enters 

into agreements with eligible partners. 

Land eligible for Wetland Reserve Easements includes farmed 

or converted wetlands that have been previously altered for 

agricultural production that can be successfully and costeffectively restored. NRCS will prioritize applications based 

on the easement’s potential for improving water quality 

and protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds 

and other wildlife. To enroll land through Wetland Reserve 

Easements, NRCS enters into purchase agreements with 

eligible private landowners or American Indian tribes. NRCS 

and the landowner work together to develop and implement 

a wetland reserve plan to guide the restoration easement 

process. This plan restores, enhances, and protects the 

wetland’s functions and values.

Enrollment

Contact the NRCS office at your local USDA Service Center 

to discuss options for your private or Tribal lands. NRCS 

staff are available to provide one-on-one support with your 

program application and explain all components of your 

easement options before you enroll. 

NRCS accepts ACEP applications year-round and funding 

is provided through a competitive process. State-specific 

application ranking dates are set to evaluate applications 

for funding. Ranking dates can be found at nrcs.usda.gov/

staterankingdates. If you apply after the application ranking 

date, your application will automatically be deferred to the 

next funding cycle.

Visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find the contact 

information for your local USDA Service Center.

SEPTEMBER 2021 Helping People Help the Land nrcs.usda.gov