United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Connecticut Go to Accessibility Information
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Connecticut NRCS Programs

Sign-Up Period for Conservation Programs Announced (news release)

These programs provide environmental, societal, financial, and technical benefits that include both on- and off-site benefits.  Program benefits include, but are not limited to, many of the following aspects:

  • Sustaining and improving agricultural productivity.
  • Cleaner, safer, and more dependable water supplies.
  • Reduced damages caused by floods and other natural disasters.
  • Enhanced natural resource bases that support continuing economic development, recreation, and other purposes.

Obtain a copy of the Conservation Practices and Programs for Your Land: 2008 Farm Bill publication.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative

Financial Assistance Programs

Conservation
  • Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
    This program helps reduce the economic risk to farms through new irrigation, transition to organic pest management, or production diversification.
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
    This program helps promote farm and forest health by enhancing the environmental quality of soil, water, air, plants, and animals.
  • EQIP Organics
  • Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs)
  • Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) (COMING SOON)
  • Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
  • Agricultural Energy Conservation and Efficiency
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
    This program is administered through the USDA-Farm Service Agency.
  • Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
    This is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations.
  • Conservation Security Program (CSP)
    From the 2002 Farm Bill - archived.
  • Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI)
    A voluntary program that enables the use of certain conservation programs to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands.
    •
    Farm/Easements
    • Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)
      This is a voluntary program that protects agricultural lands by limiting non-agricultural uses.
    • Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
      This program promotes the protection and restoration of wetlands through the purchase of easements and enhancement activities.
    • Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
      This program provides funding to restore and protect pasturelands and certain other lands while maintaining the areas in grass.
    Watershed
  • Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP)
    This program, set up by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters, is designed to relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fire, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. 
  • Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention 
    The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL 83-566) authorizes NRCS to cooperate with states and local agencies to carry out works of improvement for soil conservation and for other purposes including flood prevention; conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water; and conservation and proper utilization of land.
    •
    Wetlands/Wildlife
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)
    This program helps improve fish and wildlife habitat and restore natural ecosystems
    •

    Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Verification Process

    The 2008 Farm Bill provides that individuals and legal entities with average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in excess of a specified average AGI limitation are ineligible for payments subject to that limitation. USDA has worked with the IRS to develop an electronic information exchange process strictly for the purpose of average AGI verification. The IRS requires written consent from the individual or legal entity to provide USDA verification of the average AGI for that individual or legal entity. This written consent is now provided in Form CCC-931. The CCC-931 includes both the Self-Certification of Compliance with AGI guidelines and authority to request verification of the same from the IRS This form MUST be filed with the Farm Service Agency as part of the application process.

    Other Related Information

    Some of the following documents require Adobe Acrobat

    Animal 
    Assistance 
  • Conservation Technical Assistance 
  • Small, Limited Resource, and Minority Farmers Program 
  • Tribal Government Relationships
  • What is a Conservation Plan? Brochure (190 KB)
    • Compliance/Appeals/Mediation/Relief 
  • Conservation Compliance/Appeals/Mediation/Relief
  • Environmental Justice
    •
    Partnerships/Coalitions 
    Planning/Outreach 
    Snow/Soil Survey 
    Water 
    Other

    Last Modified: 12/02/2011