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STATE CONSERVATIONIST ANNOUNCES $9.5 MILLION AVAILABLE TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS FOR VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Early Announcement Helps Interested Landowners Create Conservation Plans

Palmer, November 1, 2004 – State Conservationist Shirley Gammon today announced that $9.5 million in cost-share assistance will be available in fiscal year 2005 for voluntary conservation programs on private, agricultural and other non-federal lands.

Gammon said the availability of these funds is being announced earlier than usual to enable interested landowners to create conservation plans that are required for receiving cost-share assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A conservation plan describes landowner goals for protecting or enhancing natural resources on their land and outlines what actions are needed to achieve those goals.

NRCS staff is available to help landowners create conservation plans on a first come, first served basis at each of 12 field offices throughout the state. Potential applicants are urged to sign up for conservation planning assistance as soon as possible to ensure meeting application deadlines for FY05 funding.

Key conservation programs and financial support allocations are:

  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program ($5,913,807) assists farmers and ranchers to improve soil, air and water quality and other related resources on private working lands.
  • Farm and Ranchland Protection Program ($1,554,313) is a voluntary program that provides matching funds to state and local governments and non-governmental organizations to purchase conservation easements on farm and ranch land.
  • Grassland Reserve Program ($1,149,000) is a voluntary program designed to protect and restore grasslands, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion while sustaining viable working ranches.
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program ($903,819) offers assistance through long-term agreements to create, restore and enhance wildlife habitat for upland wildlife, wetland wildlife, threatened, endangered or at-risk species and fisheries as well as other types of wildlife.

Additional information on these conservation programs is available at http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

Landowners who want specific information regarding program participation or who want to sign up for conservation planning assistance and/or cost share programs should contact their local NRCS Field Office.

Contact information for the 12 field offices in Alaska is available at www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/fieldoffices.html, or by calling 907-761-7760.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service puts nearly 70 years of experience to work in assisting people to conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. NRCS works in partnership with local conservation districts serves almost every county in the nation, and the Caribbean and Pacific Basin. Participation in our programs is voluntary.


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