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Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

General Program Description

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program that helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agricultural production. FRPP was reauthorized in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) as a modified version of the original Farmland Protection Program first introduced in the 1996 Farm Bill. The program provides matching funds to State, Tribal, or local governments and nongovernmental organizations with existing farmland protection programs to purchase conservation easements or other interests in land. These easements protect agricultural land, and important farmland soils, by prohibiting conversion to non-agricultural uses. To participate, a landowner submits an application to an entity—a State, Tribal, or local government or a non-governmental organization—that has an existing farm or ranch land protection program.

From 1996 to 2008, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California provided over $19 million to support the purchase of, and provide permanent protection for 14,800 acres of agricultural land on 45 farms across the State. These FRPP funds leveraged $32 million in local funds and landowner contributions for a total value of over $51 million in conservation easements that will protect California’s agricultural land in perpetuity.

Basic Eligibility
  1. The parcel must be privately owned and have a pending offer made to the landowner to purchase the conservation easement.
  2. At least one-half of the appraised fair market value of the easement must be cost-shared by the NGO or governmental entity or landowner.
  3. There must be an appraisal of the property completed by a General land appraiser certified in the State of California.
  4. The landowner must agree to have a conservation plan developed for all highly erodible land owned by the landowner.
  5. The landowner must agree not to subdivide the easement parcel, or take any action that would have the effect of subdividing.
The FRPP Awards for Fiscal Year 2009

Follow the link to view the FRPP news release, California 2009 Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Signup Announced (April 15, 2009).

FRPP proposals are to be submitted to the Davis, California, NRCS State Office by close of business June 15, 2009.

If you encounter problems with the files provided on this page, please contact the Webmaster.

These documents require Acrobat Reader.

California State Ranking Criteria (PDF; 96 KB)
FRPP 2009 Entity Application Checklist (PDF; 212 KB)
NRCS CPA-1200 Form For Participating Landowners (PDF; 168 KB)

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Lincoln E. Burton, State Conservationist
USDA-NRCS
430 G Street, #4164
Davis, CA 95616
Attention: Roney Gutierrez

FRPP awards will be announced on or before July 15, 2009.

Additional Information
California Contacts

Alan Forkey
FRPP Program Manager
430 G Street, #4164
Davis, CA 95616
Tel: (530 792-5653
Fax: (530) 792-5790
Email: alan.forkey@ca.usda.gov

Roney Gutierrez
Program Specialist
430 G Street, #4164
Davis, CA 95616
Tel: (530 792-5649
Fax: (530) 792-5791
Email: roney.gutierrez@ca.usda.gov

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