Landowners will be paid $328 million for easements that protect farmland from urban sprawl or restore grasslands and wetlands, said the Agriculture Department. The money will flow to 380 projects totaling 129,000 acres nationwide through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. The 2014 farm law combined three easement programs to form the umbrella ACEP. “What this program does is say, where are the needs out there?” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a teleconference.
USDA said the projects will reduce flooding in the Mississippi River and Red River basins, protect endangered species such as the Florida panther, and improve water quality. The states receiving the largest amounts were Florida with $31.6 million, California $22.3 million, Arkansas $20.9 million, Louisiana $18.2 million, and Iowa $12.7 million. A state by state list is available here.