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Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program in ConnecticutPhoto of the Jones Family Farm

General Program Description

The Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) whose purpose is to protect agricultural lands by limiting non-agricultural uses. NRCS partners with approved state, local, and non-profit entities who arrange for the purchase of development rights through conservation easements on private lands. The entity holds and manages these conservation easements in perpetuity.

The 2009 Farm Bill and Interim Final Rule have changed how the program works.
Please read all application materials carefully.

Deadline for 2009 proposals is May 22, 2009. Applications submitted after this date will be held for FY2010 funding consideration and ranking.

Notice of 2009 Program Funding

Connecticut NRCS will accept applications of entities and parcels through May 22, 2009 for FY2009 funding. The entity must be deemed eligible before any parcels submitted by that entity will be considered. All required parcel data must be included or the parcel will be rejected.

The amount available for this program in 2009 will be approximately $3.9 million. All funds will be used to reimburse the entities for up to 50% of the purchase price of the conservation easement on approved parcels. All parcels are ranked individually on their own merit. Funds will be awarded to the highest ranked eligible parcels through a statewide competitive process. Funded parcels must close by March 31, 2011.

Entity Eligibility Criteria

Any state or local unit of government, or non-profit organization can apply for FRPP funds by demonstrating

  • A commitment to long-term conservation of agricultural lands
  • A capability to acquire, manage, and enforce easements
  • Sufficient staff dedicated to monitoring and easement stewardship
  • The availability of funds

Eligible entities will be notified for 2009. Eligible entities will sign an agreement with NRCS for a period of three years. Within 30 days of agreement signing, the entity will be required to submit a draft easement deed for NRCS approval.

Parcel Eligibility

Eligible land must:

  • Be privately owned
  • Contain at least 50% prime, unique, statewide, or locally important farmland
  • Be subject of a pending offer
  • Contain cropland, grassland, pasture land, or forest land that contributes to the economic viability of an agricultural operation
  • Not include forest land of greater than two-thirds of the easement
  • Possess on-site and off-site conditions which will allow the easement to be effective in achieving the purposes of the program

The eligibility of the land and the landowner for each parcel must be established at the time the parcel is submitted for potential funding.

For each parcel, the landowner's legal name and contact information must be provided. A CCC-901 Members Information form must be signed by the landowner.

The landowner must be compliant with Highly Erodible and Wetland Conservation provisions of the 1985 Farm Bill, as amended. A current AD-1026 must be on file with the Farm Service Agency or submitted with the application.

Landowners also must meet the adjusted gross income limitation, earning less than $1 million in non-farm income for each of the past three years, unless more than 66% of the total gross income was from farm income. A current CCC-926 must be included with the application.

Forest management plans are required on all parcels with forest cover on greater than 10 acres or 10% of the easement area (whichever is greater). If the parcel requires a forest management plan, a certification by the landowner that such a plan will be completed prior to closing is needed.

NRCS Parcel Ranking Process

Changes have been made in the ranking criteria to comply with national and state needs. The 2009 criteria includes:

Some of the following documents require Adobe Acrobat . 

As part of the ranking and eligibility process, NRCS will complete a pre-acquisition database search for hazardous materials on or near the parcel. In addition, NRCS will conduct an on-site visit to determine the condition of the land. NRCS will also interview the landowner to ensure that all FRPP requirements are understood and that any information collected is accurate and complete.

As a condition for participation, NRCS will develop a conservation plan for all Highly Erodible Land. To ensure compliance with the plan, the easement shall grant to the U.S. -- through NRCS and its successor or assigns -- a right of access to the easement area.

Entities will be notified of parcel funding decisions by June 15, 2009. All funds will be obligated by June 30, 2009.

The entity may submit additional parcels for consideration any time during the three-year agreement period without having to submit their own eligibility qualifications. It is anticipated that the first 2010 funding decisions will be made, pending program fund appropriations, based on an October 31, 2009, application ranking period.

Application Submissions

All applications for 2009 funding must be received by 4:30 PM on Friday, May 22, 2009. Due to the inclusion of personal and private information, no electronic submittals will be accepted. Applications should be marked "PRIVATE" and addressed to:

Kip Kolesinskas
FRPP Program Manager
USDA-NRCS
344 Merrow Road, Suite A
Tolland, CT 06084-3917

Parcel Application Materials

National FRPP Program

Connecticut Success Stories

Additional Information

Contact

Kipen J. Kolesinskas
FRPP Manager
Phone: (860) 871-4047

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Last Modified: 11/18/2009