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Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)

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Oklahoma Allocation for FY-2010 Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Received

November 10, 2009 - Ron Hilliard, NRCS State Conservationist, received notification of the FRPP funding in Oklahoma for fiscal year 2010.  Oklahoma will receive $1,215,404 in financial assistance funds to enter into cooperative agreements to provide matching funds for acquisition of FRPP conservation easements.  The FRPP application process is continuous.  The deadline for submission of proposals and applications for parcels for the 2010 funding will be January 20, 2010. Only proposals received in the Oklahoma NRCS State Office by close of business on January 20, 2010, will be considered in this initial ranking and funding period for 2010 funds.

Now that the allocation has been received NRCS will be posting the announcement for program funding, the eligible lands for FRPP for 2010, the ranking criteria for 2010, and additional program information.

THIS information will be posted no later than November 30, 2009 - please come back to this site for more information.

Announcement of Program Funding (PDF) - to be posted

FRPP Interim Final Rule (PDF; 104 KB) - January 16, 2009

NRCS-CPA-1200 (DOC; 81 KB) - This application form will need to be completed by each landowner on any parcels included in the FRPP proposal submitted for consideration for FY-2010 funding; in addition to information requested in the Announcement for Program Funding.

Program Information

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary program that helps landowners keep their productive farm and ranch land in agriculture. USDA provides matching funds to state, local, or tribal government entities and nongovernmental organizations with existing farm and ranch lands protection programs to purchase conservation easements. Participating landowners choose to keep their land in agriculture and agree not to convert the land for nonagricultural use. Landowners retain all rights to use the property for agriculture. A conservation easement deed outlining the restrictions and terms of use on the land will be filed on all FRPP enrollments. All lands enrolled must have a conservation plan developed on all highly erodible cropland. The goal of the program is to protect between 170,000 and 340,000 acres of agricultural land (including farmland, ranch land and private forestland). The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been designated as the lead agency in implementing this program.

FRPP At A Glance (PDF; 41 KB) Program Fact Sheet

FRPP Fact Sheet (PDF; 44 KB) Program Fact Sheet

FRPP Questions and Answers (PDF; 43 KB) Program Fact Sheet

Eligibility

To qualify for FRPP, the land offered must be privately owned land meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Contain 50% or more prime, unique, or locally important designated soils;
  • Contain historical or archeological resources;
  • Further a state or local policy consistent with the purposes of the program.

If the land cannot be converted to nonagricultural uses because of existing deed restrictions or other legal constraints, it is ineligible for FRPP.

Oklahoma has two areas designated under the state and local criteria for land eligibility.

  1. The Tallgrass Prairie Region in northeastern Oklahoma, due to the importance and significance of that ecosystem and the threat to loss of the grasslands from conversion and fragmentation.

Oklahoma Important Grasslands Map Delineation for Eligibility (PDF; 355 KB)

  1. The Fort Sill Army Compatible Use Buffer, an area bordering the Ft. Sill military installation in Comanche County, due to the incompatible uses from development and expansion of urban populated areas and conversion of agricultural lands adjacent to the military installation on the military training exercises and the local infrastructure.

Fort Sill Compatible Use Buffer Area Map Delineation for Eligibility (PDF) - to be posted

Ranking Criteria

FRPP applications are ranked using a set of national ranking criteria with state and local criteria added as needed.  Each NRCS State Conservationist establishes the weight to be given to each national factors and establishes any state ranking criteria to be utilized.

Oklahoma FRPP Ranking and Evaluation Criteria 2010 (PDF) to be posted

Oklahoma Reference Data (Census and Agcensus) for FRPP Ranking (PDF; 18 KB)

FRPP Accomplishments - Oklahoma

2003-2009 Accomplishments

2007 Activities and Progress Report

FRPP 2006 Progress Report (PDF; 97.2 KB)

Additional progress reports for all Oklahoma programs for can be obtained at  http://www.ok.nrcs.usda.gov/news/OKPublications/index.html

Additional Information

NRCS National FRPP Website - Provides fact sheets and other basic program information.  Some material on this site has not been updated to the program rules under the Food Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill).

NRCS State Office Contact

 

Suzanne Collier
Resource Conservationist
Phone: 405-742-1234
Email: Suzanne Collier

 

Last Reviewed/Modified: 11/19/2009

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