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Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

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The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the fair market easement value of the conservation easement.

To qualify, farmland must:

  • be part of a pending offer from a State, tribe, or local farmland protection program

  • be privately owned

  • have a conservation plan for highly erodible land

  • be large enough to sustain agricultural production

  • be accessible to markets for what the land produces

  • have adequate infrastructure and agricultural support services

  • have surrounding parcels of land that can support long-term agricultural production

Depending on funding availability, proposals must be submitted by the eligible entities to the appropriate NRCS State Office during the application window.

Announcement of Program Funding (APF)

The Fiscal Year 2009 Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) was released to the public on Thursday, May 14, 2009. New York has received an initial allocation of $2,600,000 in financial assistance available to eligible entities for pending offers submitted this fiscal year.

Please note: Responses must be physically received in my office by June 1, 2009, to be considered eligible. Written responses must follow the “Application and Submission Information” and the “Criteria for Proposal Evaluation” outline in the Announcement of Program Funding.

These documents require Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word.

NRCS-CPA-1200, Conservation Program Application (DOC; 81 KB)

2009 FRPP Application Checklist (PDF; 28 KB)

Applicants should send their responses addressed to:

Astor Boozer, State Conservationist
Attn: Mike Fournier, FRPP Manager
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Galleries of Syracuse
441 South Salina Street, Suite 354
Syracuse, New York 13202

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding the Announcement of Program Funding for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, please contact:

New York FRPP Manager

Mike Fournier
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
441 S. Salina Street, 5th Floor, Suite 354
Syracuse, New York 13202-2450
Telephone: 315-477-6543
Fax: 315-477-6550

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Web image: USDA NRCS mission: Helping People Help the Land

If you encounter any problems with files provided on this page, have questions, suggestions, or find a broken link, please contact Gary Vandawalker at 315-477-6546.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720 2791. To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington D.C. or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD) USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.

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