Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program - Wisconsin

Read About How the FRPP Helped Protect Over 1,800 Acres of Farmland in 2004.

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) keeps productive farmland in privately owned agricultural use by assisting States, Tribes, and local government or non-profit entities with the purchase of conservation easements or development rights on productive farmland, and on farms containing significant historical or archaeological resources.

Through a cooperative agreement, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides up to 50% of the purchase cost for perpetual easements (in Wisconsin) on eligible farmland.

Eligible Farmland

• Contains prime, statewide important, unique, or other productive farmland, or includes important historical or archaeological sites
• Is privately owned and is part of a working farm
• Has a pending offer for purchase of development rights (conservation easement) from a State, Tribal, or local farmland protection program
• Meets highly erodible land provisions of the Food Security Act
• Has location, size, and existing protections, such as zoning, that support long-term agricultural use

Who can participate?

State, Tribal, or local entities with a qualifying farmland protection program can participate. A qualifying program utilizes voluntary easements or other legal devices to protect productive farmland.

NRCS provides up to 50% of the purchase cost of the easement to the cooperating entity. The cooperating entity acquires, manages, and enforces the easement.

Application procedures

Each year the NRCS issues a Request for Proposals, detailing the current application guidelines and priorities. Eligible entities then submit proposals to the Wisconsin NRCS State Conservationist. The proposal includes:

• An overview of the State, Tribal, local or non-profit farmland protection program
• The amount and source of funds available for easement acquisition
• The criteria used to set acquisition priorities
• Information on pending offers including: parcel size and location, acres of prime farmland, easement cost and duration, historical or archaeological resources, development pressure, zoning, and local land use plans.

NRCS evaluates the proposals using ranking criteria developed with advice from the State Technical Committee.  Cooperative agreements are prepared for entities selected for participation in the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.   Current application information

Wisconsin FRPP News

Current Funding and Wisconsin FRPP News

For more information/assistance:

A wealth of farmland protection information is available on the American Farmland Trust internet site, and from the AFT On-line Library, funded by the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

National FRPP home page, including FRPP fact sheet and Questions & Answers

For current information on the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program in Wisconsin contact:

Carl Wacker, Wisconsin FRPP Coordinator
8030 Excelsior Drive
Madison, WI  53717
Phone (608) 662-4422 ext 246
Email: Carl Wacker