Preservation Funding for Rural Communities

The list of organizations that provide preservation funding resources for rural communities. Click on the buttons under each organization to learn more about their individual programs and initiatives.

National Park Service

Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program (See Preservation Funding for Government Agencies)

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

State Office
101 S. Main St.
Temple, TX 76501
254-742-9800
nrcs.usda.gov

Direct Housing Loans

(See Preservation Funding for Homeowners)

Rural Business Enterprise Grants

(See Preservation Funding for Businesses)

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program

Website: nrcs.usda.gov 

  • The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits. 
  • Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, the NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural uses of the land. Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements component, the NRCS helps to restore, protect, and enhance enrolled wetlands. 
  • Land eligible for agricultural easements includes cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and nonindustrial private forest land. The NRCS will prioritize applications that protect agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land and those that maximize the protection of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use.
  • Land protected by agricultural land easements provides additional public benefits, including environmental quality, historic preservation, wildlife habitat and protection of open space.
  • The USDA provides 100% of the easement value and 75-100% of restoration costs for permanent easements and 50-75% each of the easement value and restoration costs of 30-year easements.

Financial Assistance Programs

Website: nrcs.usda.gov

  • The NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. Through these programs, the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
  • The Conservation Stewardship Program helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, or improved or created wildlife habitat
 

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