Farmers, ranchers and landowners in Wyoming have until May 3 to apply for conservation funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced earlier this month.

Applications are being accepted at all USDA service centers in Wyoming, the NRCS reports, for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); both initiatives are funding through President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the news release states.

“The Inflation Reduction Act provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our Wyoming ranchers, farmers and other agricultural and forest landowners,” Jackie Byam, NRCS state conservationist in Wyoming, said in the news release. “The act will allow qualifying producers in Wyoming to invest in climate-smart practices that create value and economic opportunities."

Applications are being accepted at all USDA service centers in Wyoming, the release states, for Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); both are funded by President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), according to the news repease.

The CSP helps people build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening the operation, the program's website states. EQIP is one of the agency's flagship conservation programs and is designed to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands, according to its website.

All eligible applications received by May 3 will be prioritized, evaluated, and ranked for funding in 2023, the release stats. Farmers can contact their local USDA service center to get started on producer eligibility and planning; additionally, farmers and ranchers interested in practices that may require permits, such as manure storage or streambank restoration, are advised to begin planning and seeking permits as soon as possible.

Special incentives are also available for beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged, and other historically underserved customers at increased payment rates, the release reports.

"Agriculture is the backbone of Wyoming and what we produce here has far reaching impacts beyond our state," Byam said in the release. "We look forward to seeing our producers take advantage of this additional funding to existing NRCS programs.”