Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program assisting landowners and operators in protecting grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring and conserving grassland resources.

The deadline for submitting applications is April 6, 2012. Contact your local District Conservationist for any questions or to submit an application.

GRP in New York emphasizes

• Preservation and restoration of native grasslands
• Supporting grazing operations
• Protecting grasslands from threats of conversion
• Maintaining and improving plant and animal biodiversity

Enrollment Types

Landowners who want to participate in GRP may enroll through a permanent conservation easement or 10, 15, or 20 year rental contract. Rental Contracts pay a flat rate per acre for the grassland value for each year of the agreement. Permanent Conservation Easement value is determined by the lowest of an appraisal, geographic area rate cap, or landowner offer.

NOTE: New York will not be able to make offers for easement applications due to limited funding.

Under all options the landowner agrees to implement a grazing management plan on all enrolled land. The program provides 50 percent cost-share for any needed grazing improvements such as fencing and grass plantings.

Sign-up Period

Sign-ups for the Grassland Reserve Program are accepted at USDA Service Centers on a continuous basis with one or more ranking and selection periods per fiscal year. Applications that were not elected for funding in the previous fiscal year will be deferred and considered for funding during the next ranking period.

Focus Areas

View maps of GRP Focus areas in New York.

Ranking Process

New York emphasizes obtaining easements or rental contracts on eligible land that contain remnant native grass habitat and restoration of the remnant habitat. Additional emphasis on GRP in New York is obtaining easements or rental contracts on grazing operations that are exhibiting excellent management of the grassland resources while minimizing the effects on local water quality. Applications will be evaluated using a two phase ranking criteria where only the highest rated applicants will be evaluated in the second phase of ranking.

The following documents require Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word.

GRP Ranking Worksheet (PDF, 277 KB)

For additional information, contact your local USDA NRCS office, or visit the NRCS Grassland Reserve Program Web page.

State Contacts

Peter B. Gibbs, Acting Easement Program Manager
USDA-NRCS
441 South Salina Street, Suite 354, Room 520
Syracuse, New York 13202-2450
Phone: 315-477-6543
E-mail: Peter Gibbs

Virginia Green – Program Specialist (FSA)
Phone: 315-477-6354
E-mail: Virginia Green
 

If you encounter problems with this Web page, please contact the Webmaster at 315-477-6524.

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