The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under the direction of the 2014 Farm Bill, will provide $328 million to conserve wetlands and farmlands through its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
The investment will help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation. Approximately 380 projects nationwide were selected to protect and restore 32,000 acres of prime farmland, 45,000 acres of grasslands and 52,000 acres of wetlands, according to the USDA.
As a result of these conservation projects, outdoor recreation will be improved and will boost the economy in the sum of $93.2 billion and create 660,500 jobs. A summary of ACEP funding provided to each state can be found online.
ACEP consolidates three former Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) easement programs—Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program—into two components. One component protects farmlands and grasslands, and the other protects and restores agricultural wetlands.