IRA Funds Back 138 New Conservation Easements
TL/DR –
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing about $138 million from the Inflation Reduction Act into 138 new climate-smart conservation easements as part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The conservation easements aim to preserve wetlands, grasslands, and prime farmlands, supporting climate-smart agriculture and forestry initiatives, with a particular focus on lands that can reduce, capture, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the Inflation Reduction Act allocates $19.5 billion for climate-smart agriculture and forestry activities, with ACEP set to receive $1.4 billion over several years.
USDA Initiates New Climate-Smart Conservation Easements with $138 Million Investment
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is injecting around $138 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to establish 138 climate-smart conservation easements. As part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), these easements are designed to preserve wetlands, grasslands, and prime farmlands, reinforcing climate-smart agriculture and forestry initiatives. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has focused on land that can reduce, capture, avoid, or sequester carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions.
The Inflation Reduction Act, a prominent aspect of President Biden’s climate strategy, is enabling historic conservation efforts. Conservation easements provide essential tools for farmers and ranchers to protect sensitive landscapes, such as wetlands, grasslands, and prime farmland, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He welcomed these new easements and highlighted improvements to the program to better serve agricultural producers and conservation partners.
These initiatives are the result of efforts to simplify ACEP processes within NRCS. The Inflation Reduction Act has broader provisions of $19.5 billion for climate-smart agriculture and forestry activities, with ACEP receiving $1.4 billion over several years. Applications for ACEP and other NRCS programs continue, and state-specific funding consideration deadlines apply.
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