Administrative Agency:

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Program Goals:

The Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program that helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture and prevent conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses.

Resource Provided:

The program provides matching funds to state, tribal, and local governments allows and non-governmental organizations with existing farmland protection programs to purchase conservation easements. These entities purchase easements from landowners in exchange for a lump-sum payment, not to exceed the appraised fair market value of the land's development rights.

Eligibility:

LAND: Entire farms or ranches may be enrolled in FPP. The farmland or ranch land must contain at least 50% of prime, unique, statewide, or locally important soil or contain historic or archaeological sites. These lands must also be subject to a pending offer from an eligible entity for the purpose of limiting conversion of the land to non-agricultural uses. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, grassland, pasture land, and forest land that is part of an agricultural operation. ENTITY: An eligible entity must be a federally recognized tribe, state or local agency, or a non-governmental organization that: - is organized principally for the preservation of land for recreation, open space, historical preservation, and natural habitat - is operated exclusively for charitable, religious, or educational purposes - normally receives more than one-third of its support from any combination of gifts, grants, contributions, or membership fees.

Comments:

For more information, see http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/.

Program Contact:  (Primary Contact listed first.)

Al White, Assistant State Conservationist - Programs
Alaska State NRCS Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
800 W. Evergreen, Suite 100
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: (907) 761-7757
Fax: (907) 761-7790
e-mail: al.white@ak.usda.gov
Web site: http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov