Government Program Funding for Conservation Practices
Your specific resource needs and their severity will determine which program is best for you. Credit: Heidi Reed, Penn State Extension.
There is more funding than ever for ag conservation programs available to farmers right now to help protect natural resources, but the acronym alphabet soup can leave your head spinning. Read on for simplified descriptions of some popular programs in Pennsylvania. Follow the links in each section for more details.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)
CTA is not financial assistance but can include technical advice, engineering, or design work, grazing rotation plans, or conservation plans. Field staff perform a site visit, talk with you, and see what practices may fit your farm and goals. There is no enrollment period; contact your local NRCS field office at any time to discuss CTA.
Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)
EQIP is a financial assistance program that pays a flat rate per unit of conservation practice installation (ex: dollars per sqft or acre), focused on existing resource concerns. Resources include soil, water, air, people, plants, and animals, so any issues negatively impacting those factors could be considered. Some examples are manure runoff due to improper stacking, animals in a stream, field gully erosion, etc. The EQIP program is for all land uses, including forests.
Funding is based on severity of the resource concern, with priority given to high concerns. There is a rolling application process, with submission deadlines for evaluation and ranking the third Friday in October, December, and February, with funded projects announced annually in July. If you apply and your project is not selected, your application can remain active for 2 years if you choose, and it will roll over to the next application period; additionally, if your project is not chosen, you can still receive technical assistance.
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
CSP is another financial assistance program that pays a flat rate per unit of conservation practice that gets installed, encouraging "above and beyond" conservation practices. Some examples are diversifying cover crops (3+ species), pollinator gardens, field borders, improved grazing practices, no-till, invasive weed control, creating wildlife habitat, etc., but can also be used to help fix general resource concerns like erosion. Like EQIP, it is a competitive application, but unlike EQIP, applicants must already meet at least three state resource concerns at the time of application. Examples of meeting resource concerns could be as simple as keeping pastures above a minimum height or taking measures to reduce soil compaction. Applications are typically due in early May, and projects are selected in July, with contracts being a non-negotiable 5 years. Applications are ranked, and funds are distributed starting with high-priority resource concerns, like EQIP.
Reach out to your local NRCS office for further information on any of these programs, including eligibility requirements (like FSA enrollment); application ranking dates and payment schedules vary by state.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) Programs
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
CRP provides a yearly rental payment to farmers who convert highly erodible land from ag production into conservation cover plantings, like perennial grasses or riparian buffers. The enrolled land is not to be grazed or harvested, though there are exceptions for extreme drought emergency forage needs. Crop land must have a cropping history with FSA 7 out of the last 10 years, but there is no cropping history required for riparian buffers. Contracts are 10 to 15 years long, and rental payments help subsidize initial seeding and upkeep, such as invasive control. Payments vary site-by-site depending on several factors, but the average rental rate across Pennsylvania has been $100 per acre. Enrollment is continuous or accepted at any time.
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a federal/state partnership that is part of CRP but includes state support from a number of state agencies.
Contact your local FSA office for information on enrollment in CRP/CREP.
Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission Programs (SCC)
Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP)
The Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program is a statewide program through the SCC and is implemented primarily by the County Conservation Districts. Funding will be used to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in streams, rivers, and waterbodies through the implementation of agricultural best management practices (BMPs). The program will provide financial and technical assistance to farmers to install conservation practices that work best for each farm. Available funding amount varies by county, with funds distributed based on areas with the greatest need for improvement. All Pennsylvania counties can receive assistance. Applicants can apply for ACAP through their County Conservation District. Application deadlines are established by the different Conservation Districts. The percentage of cost share is established by each Conservation District. Check with your local CD for more information on current deadlines and subsequent funding rounds.
Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP)
The REAP program administered by SCC allows farmers, businesses, and landowners to earn Pennsylvania income tax credits to offset the cost of implementing conservation BMPs. REAP provides tax credits at levels of 50%, 75%, or 90% of costs incurred in the implementation of BMPs, including planning and engineering, materials, labor, etc., depending on the practice. Examples include the purchase of no-till planters, cover crop drones, roller crimpers, precision nutrient application equipment, manure storage structures, cover crops, forested riparian buffers, and nutrient management plans. Pennsylvania tax credits are issued after the installation of a practice or purchase of eligible equipment, and state or federal cost-share portions of a project are ineligible.
Applicants must have up-to-date Agricultural Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) Plans or Conservation Plans and Manure/Nutrient Management Plans for all acres farmed, and credits are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are accepted until available tax credits for the year are exhausted.
The Commission will begin accepting applications for the 2025-26 REAP program on August 1, 2025. Reach out to the REAP Program Administrator for more details.
Conservation Excellence Grant (CEG)
The CEG Program provides funding and technical assistance for the installation of BMPs on farms. Projects must be located in a "most effective basin," as determined by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. See Most Effective Basins and Disadvantaged Communities 2023 (arcgis.com) for details. Any BMP listed in an Ag E&S or conservation plan, or manure management plan is eligible. Speak with your local conservation district for more information on the program and application windows, and to apply.
Reach out to your local Conservation District office for more information on any of these programs and other local funding opportunities through other agencies and non-profit organizations.
Local NRCS or Conservation District field staff can visit your farm, talk through your resource concerns, and help you decide which, if any, program is a good fit for you. It is not uncommon for farms to participate in several programs at once.
