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    In partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Land Trust Alliance established the NRCS Conservation Acquisition Team — or NCAT — in 2024 to provide direct support to land trusts interested or participating in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program or both. NCAT staff assists with projects nationwide from early application planning to closing, helping land trusts to create strong application packages while addressing issues that create bottlenecks in the process. In collaboration with NRCS, the team will assess processes to expand farmland and ranchland protection and support producers nationwide. As this is offered in collaboration with NRCS, there is no cost for assistance.

    NCAT staff are available to organizations new to ACEP-ALE and RCPP, with priority given to entity applicants working with these programs for the first time.

    Let's work together

    How we can help 

    Project specialists are available to answer questions and provide advice as your land trust navigates the eligibility, application and acquisition phases of your projects. This can take the form of: 

    • Email correspondence .

    • Regular one-on-one meetings .

    • Roadmaps and timelines for processes.

    • Application package review prior to submission.

    • Guidance leading up to acquisition and closing .

    Note: The team cannot draft, edit or revise documents directly, submit applications, act as a middleperson to NRCS staff or guarantee project funding. Our assistance does not take the place of a relationship with your local NRCS staff. 

    “The Alliance’s new NCAT team has held our hands through our first few ACEP applications, and we were thrilled to have the help. Our state NRCS staff was pleased, too, to have received such thorough application packages. We could not have done it so well without the NCAT team. They guided us through application materials and helped us understand funding sources. And because of their experience in this work in previous jobs at land trusts, their recommendations about how to maneuver through these deals was invaluable.”
    — Christine Watts, Madison-Morgan Conservancy
    Meet our team

    NRCS Conservation Acquisition Team

    The NCAT Team provides direct support to land trusts involved in ACEP-ALE and RCPP or to those that are considering it.

    Contact us

    We’d love to work with your land trust. Use the Intent to Apply form to tell us a bit about your organization and upcoming projects. Our team will respond to your submission with next steps.

    You can also reach us via email at ncat@lta.org.