Kansas Easement Programs

The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been a partner in conservation for 70 years helping people help the land. Easements are a tool that farmers and ranchers can use to restore degraded resources like wetlands or help families retain farms and ranches that otherwise might have gone to developers. Easements are the best way to ensure Kansas land remains in agriculture and provide long-term protection to natural resources. USDA programs, which are strictly voluntary, that provide easements include:

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program that helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Landowners agree not to convert their land to non-agricultural uses. NRCS works through state, Tribal, and local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements from landowners.

How FRPP works:
To participate, a landowner submits an application to an entity--a state, Tribal, local governments, or non-governmental organizations--that has an existing farm or ranch lands protection program.

Eligibility:
To qualify for FRPP, the land offered must be part or all of a farm or ranch and must:

• Contain prime, unique, or other productive soil or historical or archaeological resources;
• Be included in a pending offer from a state, Tribal, or local government or non-governmental organization’s farmland protection program;
• Be privately owned;
• Be covered by a conservation plan for any highly erodible land;
• Be large enough to sustain agricultural production;
• Be accessible to market for what the land produces;
• Be surrounded by parcels of land that can support long-term agricultural production; and
• Be owned by an individual or entity that does not exceed the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitation.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program. It provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on private lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. The program provides an opportunity for landowners to receive financial compensation in exchange for retiring marginal land from agriculture.

WRP participants benefit by:

• Receiving financial and technical assistance in return for retiring marginal land from agriculture to restore, protect, and enhance wetland functions and values;
• Seeing a reduction in problems associated with farming potentially difficult areas; and
• Having opportunities for wildlife recreation on their land.

Wetlands benefit the nation by providing habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species; improving water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals; reducing flooding; recharging groundwater; protecting biological diversity; as well as providing opportunities for educational, scientific, and recreational activities.

Eligibility:
To offer a conservation easement, the landowner must have owned the land for at least seven years prior to enrolling it in the program. In addition, the land must be restorable and be suitable for wildlife benefits. Some examples include: farmed wetland; prior converted cropland; land that has become a wetland as a result of flooding; and riparian areas which link protected wetlands.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) 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 as grazing lands. The program emphasizes support for working grazing operations; enhancement of plant and animal biodiversity; and protection of grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other activities that threaten grassland resources.

Benefits:
Restoring and protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and improves environmental quality. The program offers several enrollment options:

• Permanent Easement
• Rental Agreement – Participants may choose a 1-year, 15-year, or 20-year contract

Eligibility:
Landowners who can provide clear title on privately owned lands are eligible to participate for the easement option. Landowners or others who have control of the acreage may submit an application for a rental agreement.

For more information about FRPP, WRP, and/or GRP, please contact your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Last Modified: 12/10/2008