NRCS in N.H. Announces Application Dates for Fiscal Year 2025 for Select Programs

Apply by October 4th to be considered in the first round of funding under CSP, EQIP and AMA programs.

The USDA’s NRCS in the Granite State has announced the application dates for the EQIP, CSP and AMA programs for Fiscal Year 2025. Producers should apply by October 4, 2024, to be considered in this first round of funding.

DOVER, N.H. August 23, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Hampshire has established the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 application dates for the following NRCS financial assistance programs: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

The NRCS has set an initial signup date for these programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 of Friday October 4, 2024, for EQIP, CSP, and AMA.

All applications need to be received by this date to be considered for this first round of funding for FY 2025. The government fiscal year starts October 1st and continues through September 30th annually.

Additional rounds may be available if funding remains after processing this first signup batch. While producers may apply at any time during the year, this first signup round has the highest potential of being selected as all funding is available early in the fiscal year. So don’t delay – the NRCS recommends applying by this date to ensure we can assist you with your conservation project.

The NRCS in N.H. encourages farmers and local nonindustrial private forest landowners to start the planning process now to ensure success as the agency begins transitioning to the next fiscal year.

Establishing farm records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is a necessary step to be eligible for USDA financial assistance programs through FSA or NRCS. By registering your farm with the FSA, producers will have access to Farm Bill programs in place to support their operations – including conservation programs offered through NRCS along with farm loans and other financial assistance offered through FSA.

“By having a conservation plan in place or updated based on your current operation, producers can more readily apply for financial assistance programs,” explains Becky Ross, State Conservationist for NRCS in New Hampshire. “It ultimately makes the process much more fluid.”

More Information:

Assistance is only a phone call away. NRCS and FSA staff are ready to answer your questions, work to ensure your success with USDA Farm Bill programs, and address conservation concerns on your land.

With new technology in place, many required documents can now be signed virtually, right from a smart phone or computer, significantly reducing mailing delays and trips to the local service center. This helps keep producers where they need to be – in the field and on the farm.

While NRCS New Hampshire has set the official program application cutoff for EQIP, AMA, and CSP of October 4, 2024, NRCS accepts program applications year-round on a continuous basis. Cutoff dates are necessary for the agency to assess and rank applications against each other for funding, based on their potential conservation impact.

For more information on NRCS Farm Bill programs, you can visit the NRCS, New Hampshire website here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/NewHampshire

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U.S. Department of Agriculture

NRCS in N.H. Announces Signup Date for Fiscal Year 2025 Under EQIP Act Now Authority

Producers in the Granite State can utilize Act Now for CPA, DIA, and CEMAs under EQIP through March 28, 2025

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (UDSA-NRCS) in N.H has established the FY 2025 application dates for EQIP-Act Now.

Under Act Now, NRCS has the authority to immediately preapprove and obligate a ranked application in designated ranking pools when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State determined minimum ranking score. All applications in the ranking pool do not have to be ranked to select an application with a ranking score above the established ranking threshold.

For FY-2025, NH NRCS will be utilizing Act Now authority to process applications in the CPA-DIA-CEMA ranking pool. These applications will be batched and processed on a rolling basis as they are received. Only applications that exceed the minimum threshold ranking score may be processed on the accelerated ACT Now timeline.

The NRCS in New Hampshire has set an initial signup date for this specific funding authority in Fiscal Year 2025 of Friday March 28, 2025. All applications need to be received prior to this date and need to meet the established minimum threshold requirements in order to be processed on the accelerated timeline.

Any application not funded under the Act Now authority, will still be considered for funding in FY 2025 under traditional obligation authorities.

The NRCS, in New Hampshire encourages farmers and local nonindustrial private forest landowners to start the planning process now to ensure success. Establishing farm records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is a necessary step to be eligible for USDA financial assistance programs through FSA or NRCS. By registering your farm with the FSA, producers will have access to Farm Bill programs in place to support their operations – including conservation programs offered through NRCS along with farm loans and other financial assistance offered through FSA.

Assistance is only a phone call away. NRCS and FSA staff are ready to answer your questions, work to ensure your success with USDA Farm Bill programs, and address conservation concerns on your land.

You can find your local service center on the USDA’s Farmers.gov website here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center.

While NRCS New Hampshire has set the official program application cutoff for EQIP Act Now as March 28, 2025, NRCS accepts program applications year-round on a continuous basis. Cutoff dates are necessary for the agency to assess and rank applications against each other for funding, based on their potential conservation impact.

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New Hampshire Conservation District Climate Resilience Grant

Check back for 2025 Climate Resilience Grant Information!

The 10 New Hampshire Conservation Districts are thrilled to announce the 2024 grant round of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant. The mission of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant is to support and empower local farmers to build climate resilience throughout the Granite State. This will be done through reducing the impact of agriculture on climate change (mitigation) through greenhouse gas emissions reduction and carbon sequestration, and to increasing the resiliency of New Hampshire Farms in a changing climate (adaptation), while meeting farm’s conservation goals and needs. Extreme weather events, frequent and prolonged droughts, and increased pest pressures are increasing intensifying for NH farms. This grant though the NH County Conservation Districts seeks to support farmers in meeting those challenges. Funds are available for projects that mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate change and enhance the on-farm adaptations to projected climate conditions. Preference will be given to projects that can demonstrate strong potential in mitigation and adaptation. The application deadline for the 2024 grant round has closed. Please check back for 2025 grant information.

2024 Grant Awards

An optional zoom informational session for interested applicants was held on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 6:00PM. Recorded Grant Information Session:

2024 Climate Resilience Grant Application 2024 Climate Resilience Grant Partnership Form

2024 Climate Resilience Grant In Kind Contribution Tracking Form

2024 Climate Resilience Grant Final Report Grafton 2024 Climate Resilience Grant Information

Solar and Energy Resources 2023 Awards NH Conservation Districts

Upper Valley Farmland Protection Initiative

If you own or rent farmland in the towns of Bath, Haverhill, Piermont, Orford, Lyme, Dorchester, Hanover, Canaan, Orange, Lebanon, Enfield and Grafton (UVLT service area), you may be eligible for funding to conserve that land through UVLT’s Upper Valley Farmland Protection Initiative, a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which was formed to provide funding for the protection of our vital farmland in Grafton County that may not have met traditional funding requirements.

Grafton County Conservation District

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