A partnership for perpetuity
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About This Saving Land
To support land trusts’ participation in the ACEP-ALE and RCPP programs, the Land Trust Alliance has developed a strong partnership with NRCS. Over the years, we have worked with staff and leadership at all levels of the agency, sharing input from our community and developing solutions to help more land trusts access these important conservation tools. Through our partnership, the Alliance has been able to create new resources, grow communication between the agency and land trusts, and effectively advocate for changes in the two programs that help our community do what we do best—conserve the lands that people need and love.
Nikki Nesbary is the Alliance's senior manager for NRCS programs.
© 2024 Land Trust Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved.
For decades, land trusts have partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to help landowners conserve America’s farmlands, ranchlands, grasslands and other vital landscapes. Through two NRCS conservation easement programs — the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program: Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) — land trusts help permanently protect tens of thousands of acres each year. These lands face immense development pressure and, once lost, would no longer be available to grow the food and fiber that is needed to sustain our communities and our world.
To support land trusts’ participation in the ACEP-ALE and RCPP programs, the Land Trust Alliance has developed a strong partnership with NRCS. Over the years, we have worked with staff and leadership at all levels of the agency, sharing input from our community and developing solutions to help more land trusts access these important conservation tools. Through our partnership, the Alliance has been able to create new resources, grow communication between the agency and land trusts, and effectively advocate for changes in the two programs that help our community do what we do best—conserve the lands that people need and love.
“Land trusts are trusted partners that bridge the gap between landowners and the agency. If we are to address the increasingly rapid loss of agricultural lands across the country, we must continue to work together,” notes Lori Faeth, the Alliance’s senior director of government relations.
Laying the groundwork
In 2018, the Alliance and NRCS held a firstof-its-kind summit that brought together land trust leaders and NRCS national team members to find ways to strengthen participation in the ACEP-ALE program. The summit was a rousing success, resulting in an increased understanding of the program, better communication between the land trust community and NRCS, and the identification of specific issues that land trusts and the agency could work together to address.
In 2020, I joined the Alliance’s Government Relations team in the first Alliance-hosted partner position created to provide technical assistance on ACEP-ALE and RCPP and coordinate our Farm Bill programs. During the next two years, working closely with NRCS and land trusts, I developed resources and tools to address barriers to program participation. These efforts resulted in the creation of the ACEP-ALE Toolkit, the production of more training opportunities on NRCS programs, and the development of new recommendations from the land trust community for streamlining the programs.
In the summer of 2022, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to host the second NRCS-Alliance summit. This gathering proved to be an equally important opportunity for land trusts and NRCS to strengthen trust, assess program implementation and look to the future. Outcomes included new working groups that addressed process improvements for appraisal reviews, staff capacity of both land trusts and the agency, and entity certification as a streamlined path for qualified land trusts to complete more ACEP-ALE projects.
Forging a brighter future
Following the second summit, NRCS increased its support of the Alliance and our community by becoming a lead sponsor of Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in 2022. As part of its sponsorship, the agency provided new stipend funding for Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+ and other historically underrepresented conservation practitioners to attend the annual event.
In late summer of 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act passed and resulted in the largest infusion of funds for Farm Bill programs in my lifetime.
ACEP funding is so important to protecting North Carolina’s farmland,” says Travis Morehead, executive director of Three Rivers Land Trust. Pictured is the Dobson family’s 410-acre farm, recently protected under a conservation easement supported by ACEP funds with the land trust.
With the funds set to expire in 2031, both the agency and the Alliance recognized the unprecedented opportunity to support land trust participation in ACEP-ALE and RCPP and help conserve critical farms and ranches across the nation. We worked together to expand our partnership, and as of the fall of 2023, established two new agreements with the agency. The agreements provide more stipend funding to support the growth and diversity of our sector, increase training and resources for land trusts, and provide for the addition of five new staff in 2024, with four more slated to join our team in the following years.
In January, we brought on Senior Project Manager Justin Merrifield, who will lead the new Alliance NRCS Easement Acquisitions Team. The team will provide direct support to land trusts involved in ACEP-ALE and RCPP or those who are considering it. The team will track projects nationwide from early application planning through to closing, helping land trusts to create strong application packages and addressing issues that create bottlenecks in the process. Merrifield and his team will maintain regular communication with NRCS, consistently assessing and refining processes to expand farmland protection and support producers nationwide.
“Our partnership with NRCS offers immense opportunity. My job is to help land trusts leverage that opportunity by conserving and keeping working lands in the hands of landowners, families and communities,” says Merrifield.
We are also bringing on a new RCPP Program Manager this spring who will develop comprehensive RCPP resources for the Alliance’s online Resource Center, advise on program policy recommendations, develop trainings and coordinate with NRCS to ensure our community is ready to ramp up participation in the program.
Unprecedented opportunities
The ACEP-ALE and RCPP programs offer unprecedented opportunities for land trusts to protect even more working lands from the threat of conversion in the months and years ahead. The partnership between NRCS and the Alliance has been incredibly valuable and is vital to the success of our shared conservation goals. Together we have already accomplished a great deal, and we know there is much more to be done. With a growing team, tools and resources, the Alliance and our community are up for the challenge.
Meet the Land Trust Alliance's NRCS Easement Acquisitions team
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Lori Faeth
Senior Director of Government RelationsLori provides strategic oversight and leadership of Alliance federal agency relations and is responsible for implementing the Alliance’s policy priorities. She leads efforts to secure support for the Farm Bill, including ACEP, RCPP and other programs that land trusts utilize to help conserve working lands, ranchland, wetlands and forest lands.
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Nikki Nesbary
Senior Manager for NRCS ProgramsNikki manages the Alliance NRCS team and agency relationships. She oversees administration and coordination and is a lead contact for land trusts, NRCS personnel and other stakeholders to promote joint understanding of the Farm Bill and to strengthen participation in ACEP-ALE and RCPP. She also manages the Farm Bill Working Group and supports the development of policy recommendations, delivers training opportunities and convenings, coordinates the development of online resources, including resources to support historically underserved stakeholders.
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Justin Merrifield
Senior Project Manager, Natural Resources Conservation Service Easement Acquisitions TeamJustin leads the new NRCS Easement Acquisitions Team. As part of the Alliance’s overall NRCS resources, the team will provide direct support to land trusts involved in entity-held easements through the ACEP-ALE and RCPP programs. They will help land trusts create strong application packages and address issues that create bottlenecks in the enrollment process. The team will coordinate closely with NRCS, assessing and refining processes to help expand farmland conservation and support producers nationwide.
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Jeremy Lougee
RCPP Program ManagerJeremy serves as a joint resource for land trusts and NRCS personnel to promote a broader understanding of RCPP and to strengthen participation in the program. He delivers training opportunities and convenings and coordinates the development of online resources to better align land trust expectations and NRCS program delivery. His work also supports land trusts engaged in strategic project development and coordinates with the Alliance’s Community-Centered Conservation Department to engage historically underrepresented landowners and land trusts in RCPP.
Explore related resources
ACEP-ALE Program Agreements Fact Sheet
ACEP-ALE Program Opportunities
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) program helps conserve land in perpetuity and is in high demand. If your land trust is interested in participating in the ACEP-ALE program or looking to expand your ALE work, this training is for you.
NRCS Program Agreements and ALE Updates
NRCS is the single largest funder of private land conservation in the world but learning to navigate the ACEP-ALE process can be challenging. We are here to demystify the process and provide updates on what is new in 2021.
Survey says: Those lines don't align
When a landowner hands you a survey they had done, or you find a survey in the process of acquiring a new easement or preserve, it is highly tempting to stash the survey away in the file drawer and forget about it. But then you may have a bigger problem!
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Agricultural Land Easements Program Toolkit
Is your organization looking to utilize the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Agricultural Land Easements Program? This toolkit includes land trust success stories using the ACEP-ALE program, step-by-step guidance for your application and an acronym guide and glossary.