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FY 2007 Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program

Fiscal Year 2007 FRPP applications must be received in the NRCS State Office in Portland, Oregon by 4:00 pm on April 27, 2007. Refer to the '2007 FRPP Application Materials' below for guidance and requirements for submitting an application.

News Release:

The following documents requireAdobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Document NRCS Accepting Proposals for Farm and Ranchland Protection -- March 26, 2007 (28 KB)

The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program that allows productive farm and ranch lands to remain in agricultural production under private ownership. FRPP assists states, tribes, local governments, or non-profit entities in the purchase of conservation easements or development rights on prime, unique or other productive farmland. The program also provides assistance for farms containing significant historical or archaeological resources.

FRPP Application Materials

The following documents requireMicrosoft Word Document Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word Document2007 FRPP Application Workbook (747 KB)
Microsoft Word Document FRPP Closing Checklist (637 KB)
Microsoft Word Document FRPP Appraiser Disclosure Statement (29 KB)

How FRPP Works:

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. Participating landowners agree to not convert their land to non-agricultural uses and to develop and implement a conservation plan for any highly erodible land. The value of the conservation easement is determined through a professional appraisal. The easement payment compensates landowners for voluntarily limiting future development of their land for non-agricultural uses. Participating landowners retain ownership and rights to use the property for agriculture.

Eligible Farm and Ranch Land:

In order to be eligible for the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program property must:

  • Contain prime, statewide, important unique or other productive farm or ranch land, or include important historical or archaeological sites.
  • Be privately owned and part of a working farm or ranch.
  • Have a pending offer for purchase of development rights or a conservation easement from a state, Tribal, or local farmland protection program.
  • Meet wetland conservation and highly erodible land provisions of the Food Security Act.

Cooperating Entities with Farm or Ranchland Protection Programs:

USDA works through state, tribal, and local governments and non-governmental organizations to conduct the FRPP. These entities utilize voluntary easements or other legal devices to protect productive farmland. Cooperating entities acquire perpetual conservation easements from landowners. Through a cooperative agreement, the NRCS provides up to 50 percent of the purchase cost for perpetual easements on eligible land in Oregon. The cooperating entity acquires, manages, and enforces the easement.

NRCS evaluates and prioritizes proposals based on state and national criteria and awards funds to qualified entities to conduct their farm and ranch land protection programs. Applications for FRPP in Oregon address agricultural and ranch lands that contain prime or high value soils. The highest priority proposals are determined from a ranking system addressing the following factors:

  • Threat of development pressure to convert from agricultural use to non-agricultural use,
  • Located with a well-developed agricultural infrastructure demonstrating long-germ economic viability for farming and ranching,
  • Located outside of an urban growth boundary and is zoned exclusive farm use or mixed farm/forest land,
  • Significant economic, social, environmental, historical or cultural benefits, and
  • Pending offer to purchase a conservation easement from an entity with a reliable funding source and a demonstrated ability to acquire, manage, and enforce conservation easements.

2007 FRPP General Description:

The following documents requireAdobe Acrobat Document Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat DocumentFRPP Fact Sheet (48 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFRPP Key Points (48 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFRPP Questions and Answers (60 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFRPP Program Description (44 KB)
 

The following documents requireMicrosoft Word Document Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word Document2007 FRPP Announcement of Program Funding (149 KB)

For More Information/Assistance:

Additional information can be found at the NRCS FRPP web site.

A wealth of farmland protection information is also available on the following American Farm and Ranch Land Trust Internet sites: http://www.farmland.org and the Farmland Information Center Home Page, http://www.farmlandinfo.org funded by the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Technical assistance and information more specific to Oregon can be obtained from the AFT websites at:http://www.farmland.org/programs/states/Oregon.asp.

Contact:

Bill White, Leader for Programs
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd, Suite 900
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 503-414-3085
FAX: 503-414-3103
E-mail: bill.white@or.usda.gov


Last Modified:  12/05/2007

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