The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an allocation of up to $7.7 billion for fiscal year 2025 to assist agricultural and forestry producers in adopting conservation practices on working lands. This includes up to $5.7 billion for climate-smart practices, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, a part of President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, along with $2 billion from Farm Bill funding. This marks a significant increase compared to previous years.
Climate change impacts such as changing temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, droughts, flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires are affecting the livelihoods of USDA stakeholders. Innovations in adapting to these changes are crucial for the future success of working lands. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) received over 156,485 applications for its conservation programs in fiscal year 2024.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated: “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, America’s producers have additional funding available to them for conservation programs and climate-smart practices.” He added that this funding aims "to maximize climate benefits across the country while also providing other important conservation and operational benefits."
The Inflation Reduction Act is noted as the largest climate and conservation investment in history, injecting an additional $19.5 billion into NRCS’ oversubscribed conservation programs over five years starting from fiscal year 2023. Producers can apply for various programs including EQIP ($2.8 billion), CSP ($943 million), ACEP ($472 million), and RCPP (up to $1.4 billion). These funds supplement the $2 billion provided through the Farm Bill.
This assistance also supports President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and America the Beautiful Initiative aimed at addressing nature and climate crises while improving equitable access to outdoor spaces.
Since 2023, this assistance has enabled over 28,500 farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices on 361 million acres of land.
NRCS recently updated its list of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for funding in fiscal year 2025 with new activities designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sequestration.
Producers interested in ACEP should submit their applications by October 4 or December 20 for fiscal year 2025 consideration. Applications unfunded in fiscal year 2024 will be reconsidered automatically during these cycles.
NRCS accepts producer applications for EQIP and CSP throughout the year but recommends applying by state-specific ranking dates at local USDA Service Centers.
An informational briefing will be held on October 4 at 11:30 a.m., featuring discussions led by USDA Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary Robert Bonnie alongside NRCS Chief Cosby.
For more information about NRCS services or initiatives under USDA's administration focused on transforming America's food system toward resilience and equity visit www.nrcs.usda.gov or www.usda.gov.
