New Jersey NRCS Conservation Programs

Participation in our conservation programs is voluntary. NRCS accepts requests for assistance and applications for programs throughout the year. Established funding periods facilitate application review and contract development for financial assistance and easement programs. Link to the specific program pages provided below for these dates and other program details.

Conservation Practices and Program for Your Land

The 2008 Farm Bill offers America’s agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest landowners more assistance than ever before to voluntarily conserve natural resources on our Nation’s privately owned farm and ranch lands. Its provisions provide technical and financial assistance to help producers implement conservation practices that reduce erosion, protect our waters, improve fish and wildlife habitat, improve air quality, and conserve energy. This guide introduces the assistance available

Financial Assistance Programs

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) -  Reduces the economic risk of adopting new conservation measures for limited resource, beginning, or full-time farmers.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) - An FSA-administered program where farmers receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish eligible conservation buffers.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - An FSA-administered program where farmers receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - Provides assistance to install permanent measures or adopt new management strategies that address existing resource concerns on farms.

• Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)- Competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.

• Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) – Partner agencies work with farmers to adopt certain practices that address regionally important water quantity or quality issues. Available in Raritan basin watersheds of Mulhockaway Creek, Spruce Run, Neshanic River and South Branch/Long Valley.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) - Encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support targeted wildlife populations of National, State, and local significance.

Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) - A voluntary program established to foster conservation partnerships that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds and airsheds of special significance.

Easement Programs

Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) - Federal dollars to support state, local and non-governmental organizations in farmland preservation efforts. 

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) - Provides funding to restore and protect private grasslands, pasturelands, and certain other lands while maintaining the areas in grass.

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) - Offers landowners a chance to receive payments for restoring and protecting wetlands on their property

Stewardship Programs

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) - Encourages agricultural and forestry producers to address resource concerns on cropland, pasture land and non-industrial, private forest lands (2009)

Conservation Security Program - Program information for New Jersey producers with contracts established through this 2002 Farm Bill program

Technical Assistance Programs

Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) - Voluntary planning and implementing conservation practices that address natural resource issues by land owners and users.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) -NRCS works with the Garden State Grazing Coalition to support grazing operations in New Jersey.

National Resources Inventory (NRI) - A statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands.

Cape May Plant Materials Center - The development, testing and application of plants for various site conditions. New Jersey hosts the Cape May Plant Materials Center (PMC) that serves the Atlantic Coastal States.

• National Plants Database

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) – NRCS facilitation of regional partners working together to improve various resource conditions.  

• North Jersey RC&D - serving Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties.
• South Jersey RC&D - serving Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem Counties.
• National RC&D website

Soil Survey Program - Provides basic technical information for land users and the develops county soil surveys and the associated interpretation of soil data for various land uses.

Watershed Programs - Regional planning and project implementation in partnership with units of government to improve various resource conditions.

Conservation Success Stories

New Jersey Stories - Learn what New Jersey land managers are doing to protect our precious natural resources in the Garden State!

New Jersey Outreach

Contact: Janice Reid, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, 732-537-6042

Last Modified: January 06, 2010