U.S. Department of Agriculture/ Natural Resources Conservation Service
The mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is to provide leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources and environment. The NRCS office is located at the USDA Service Center on M-32 in Alpena. NRCS works with the local landowners to help develop conservation plans, and works through several government funded programs to implement any needed changes. Some of the programs that are active in Alpena County are as follows:
The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, commonly known as the 2008 Farm Bill provides significant opportunities to address the nation's high priority environmental goals. In Michigan, Farm Bill programs provide assistance to landowners and agricultural producers to better conserve natural resources on private and public land. These programs are delivered at the local level through Michigan Conservation Districts. Serving as the key partner and delivery system, Michigan Conservation Districts are the liaison between landowners and the suite of Farm Bill programs available through the USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
The Michigan Association of Conservation Districts in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Michigan Farm Bureau, have developed a 2008 Farm Bill resource booklet to provide landowners with understanding of 2008 Farm Bill's conservation programs. This booklet provides landowners with an overview of the opportunities available under the 2008 Farm Bill and resources available. We encourage you to work through this booklet and the program overview resources below and to contact your local Conservation District for further information. The programs available through the 2008 Farm Bill provide significant opportunities and it is up to each individual, with assistance from local USDA or Conservation District employees, to determine how these programs can benefit their operation.
Click here: 2008 Farm Bill Booklet
Overview of Programs:
EQIP. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial assistance to landowners for improving their conservation methods on agricultural lands. The program offers assistance for a wide variety of conservation measures on all types of agricultural land including row crops, orchards, pastures, forage crops and managed forest land. Program payments may be provided for up to three years to encourage producers to carry out management practices they may not otherwise use without the financial assistance. Learn more
WRP. The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program that allows landowners to restore former wetlands that were converted to farmland. Through WRP, NRCS will provide financial assistance to a landowner to restore wetlands on their property. Landowners also have the option of enrolling their restored wetlands into a 10-year, 30-year, or permanent-easement. Learn more
WHIP. The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program assists landowners in improving wildlife habitat on their property. WHIP provides financial assistance to landowners to establish or improve wildlife and aquatic habitat through practices such as native grass and tree plantings and wildlife management practices. Learn more
GRP. The Grassland Reserve Program is a voluntary program that helps landowners and operators restore and protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, shrubland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas for grazing. GRP contracts and easements prohibit the production of crops, other than grasses and hay, that require breaking the soil surface except for appropriate land management activities included in a grassland conservation plan. Learn more
CSP. The Conservation Stewardship Program is a voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by undertaking additional conservation activities and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities. CSP payments compensate producers for adopting new conservation measures and improving and maintaining their existing ones. Learn more
FRPP. The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. FRPP funds go to existing farmland preservation programs that use the matching funds to purchase development rights from landowners. The program’s goal is to preserve farmland that is at risk of being converted to non-agricultural uses. More information coming soon.
For more information about any of these programs, contact Ron Spiering at (989) 356-3596 x.112.
On the world wide web, look for more information about the new FARM BILL and other USDA programs at the following links:
USDA/NRCS for Michigan: www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov
