NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, Huron, S.D., October 26, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging agricultural producers and forest landowners in South Dakota to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices in fiscal year (FY) 2024 as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), which help a wide variety of producers, including urban and organic producers.
“Whether you measure your farm in square feet or acres, or you farm in the country or in the middle of the city, the NRCS has conservation assistance for you,” South Dakota State Conservationist Tony Sunseri said. “Right now, we are offering a historic amount of funding through both the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), so you should apply today. We encourage all who have natural resource concerns, including producers who haven’t worked with us before, to consider applying. A conservation plan and program may be right for your ag operation.”
For FY 2024, NRCS has $3 billion in IRA funds to invest in climate-smart mitigation activities. This year, NRCS expanded the list of those activities as well as expanded priority areas for ACEP for grasslands, wetlands and farmlands at risk of conversion. Learn more about those expansions in our Sept. 28, 2023 news release.
Additionally, for FY 2024, NRCS has over $2 billion in Farm Bill funding available to producers for priorities like organic and urban agriculture, soil health, water quality and quantity and wildlife habitat development. This extensive amount of funding will be used to meet producer demand for our oversubscribed programs, maximize climate benefits and help producers address their natural resource challenges.
FY 2024 funds will also support the Working Lands Conservation Action Framework, which focuses on conservation practices that help producers succeed in their operations and manage climate-related threats like drought and increased demands for water. In fiscal year 2024, Farm Bill funds are available to support investments in these activities, and Inflation Reduction Act funds will also be available for practices in the framework that have a climate mitigation benefit. These investments will help producers and communities improve their operations and protect our natural resources in the face of global challenges.
NRCS accepts producer applications for its conservation programs year-round. Producers in South Dakota interested in FY 2024 funding should apply by November 3, 2023 for EQIP and CSP, and November 13, 2023 for ACEP. Producers can apply for funding from both the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. In many cases, because of additional flexibilities, applications for eligible practices that meet or exceed state-determined minimum ranking thresholds will automatically be considered for priority funding when applying for EQIP and CSP.
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IRA, the largest climate investment in history, is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment and opportunity for the agricultural communities that USDA serves. IRA will help producers stay on the farm, prevent producers from becoming ineligible for future assistance and promote climate-smart agriculture by increasing access to conservation assistance. In addition to the investments in agriculture, IRA extended authorities for certain Farm Bill programs – EQIP, CSP, ACEP and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program – until FY 2031.
For more information about assistance available, contact your local USDA Service Center.
–USDA NRCS