USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended the deadline for public comment on its interim rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
NRCS is asking for feedback on two additional questions and made several clarifying changes and will extend the comment deadline to March 20, 2020.
The updated rule asked whether the Healthy Forest Reserve Program and Regional Conservation Partnership Program should be used primarily to help protect agricultural lands with forest lands that are beyond enrollment eligibility as an ACEP easement; and input on streamlining access to ACEP and ranking criteria for applications to the program.
Clarifying changes included docket number and URL corrections, and revising the definition for “wetland restoration.”
Comments may be submitted until March 20 at regulations.gov under Docket ID NRCS-2019-00006.
