New Mexico Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and Application Information

The 2012 application cutoff for GRP is February 3, 2012. In addition to either an application (either a AD-1153 or a CCC-1200 supplemented by an AD-1153 if selected for funding), applicants must establish Farm bill program eligibility with the USDA Farm Services Agency, including income eligibility, Wetlands/Highly Erodible Lands Eligibility and signature authority.

NRCS and the Farm Services Agency share administrative responsibility for the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP).  GRP provides technical and financial assistance to restore and conserve the functions and values of grasslands, land that contains forbs and shrubs.

Large expanses of grassland are threatened by conversion to other land uses such as cropland and urban land.  Nationally, approximately 23 million acres of grassland and shrubland were converted to cropland between 1982 and 1997 and about 6 million acres were converted to urban and other uses.

Grassland and shrubland affect water quantity and quality and when properly managed can result in cleaner water supplies, healthy riparian areas, reduced flooding potential, and reduced sediment loading in streams and other water bodies.  These lands are vital for the production of forage for domestic livestock and provide forage and habitat for wildlife populations.  These lands also improve the aesthetic character of the landscape, provide scenic vistas and open space, provide recreational opportunities, and protect the soil from water and wind erosion.

The purpose of the GRP is to assist landowners with conserving and restoring grassland, rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands.

Land selected for the program shall emphasize support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity and land under threat of conversion to agricultural or non-agricultural uses or from native species to non-native species.  GRP contracts and easements that will be put in place prohibit, the production of crops (other than hay), fruit trees, vineyards, or any other agricultural commodity that requires breaking the soil surface, and any other activity that would disturb the surface of the land except for appropriate land management activities.

The GRP offers applicants multiple enrollment options.  Landowners may submit applications for permanent easements or for 10-year, 15-year, or 20-year rental agreements. Applications are accepted year round, and ranked at the end of batching periods to be announced periodically. Currently, only one batching period is anticipated in fiscal year 2012 (10/1/2011-9/30/2012), as listed above.

Selected applicants for rental agreements will be eligible to receive annual rental payments which are set by the USDA Farm Services Agency. Selected applicants for the easement option will be eligible to receive compensation based on the lesser or two values, the land owner offer or the values in the following chart:

Map

In accordance with program rules, entity supported applications are tied to appraised values and available match - USDA contribution can not exceed 50% of purchase price or the appraised value of the land less the grazing value.

Both individual GRP application and entity supported applications will be awarded points for non-GRP contributions, including land owner donations, towards easement acquisition costs.

Forms Needed to Signup:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (PDF KB)
• Application AD-1153 (PDF; 33 KB) (CCC-1200 is also allowed, but will need to be supplemented by the 1153 to accommodate the FSA role in fund obligation)

Contact

Seth Fiedler
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 761-4416
E-mail: seth.fiedler@nm.usda.gov

02/29/2012