Additional Conservation Easement Purchase Funds

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services administers the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, which offers competitive grant opportunities to support the preservation of agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands. The Additional Conservation Easement Purchase Funds program under Cycle 19 of 2025 is intended for current grantees with active conservation easement grant contracts under the Standard Conservation Easement Appraisal Program. This funding allows for the addition of funds to the conservation easement purchase line item when partner funding is not awarded or when appraisal values increase. The program exists in response to the ongoing threat of farmland loss in North Carolina, as identified by the American Farmland Trust, which ranks the state as the second-most threatened in the nation for farmland conversion. Funding under this program is limited to the conservation easement purchase line item and cannot exceed 50 percent of the estimated or appraised value of the conservation easement. Eligible applicants must currently hold an existing conservation easement grant contract, be classified as low risk under the Grantee Risk Assessment Guide, and must not have received prior additional funds for the easement. Applicants are ineligible if they seek to increase the easement purchase percentage without a formal denial of partner funding. Acceptable justifications for additional funding include the rejection or deferment of grant applications from other sources or a certified appraisal determining a higher easement value than contracted. The application process is structured into two parts. Part 1, the Intent to Apply form, opens on the first business day of August and closes on the last business day of August. This form confirms programmatic eligibility and identifies the award in question. Part 2, covering Eligibility, Background, and Purpose, opens on the second Monday of September and closes on the last Monday before Christmas, capturing more detailed budget information. Once both parts are complete, applicants are contacted for an interview. No edits or resubmissions are allowed after submission, and late applications are ineligible. Evaluation may include an on-site visit or call to verify that land ownership, acreage, and working land use remain consistent with the grant contract. Acreage variances greater than five percent that reduce the contracted acreage result in proportional funding reductions. If ownership has changed or the land is no longer in working use, the application is denied. Ranking priorities favor applications that maintain or reduce the easement purchase percentage, have confirmed partner funding, or meet other funding priority criteria. Awards are also prioritized by the original grant cycle. The budget for this category is capped at 15 percent of the total available funding for the cycle, with possible increases if funds remain from other categories. Awards may be partially funded if the cycle budget cannot meet all requests. Match requirements and allowable costs mirror those of the Agricultural Conservation Easement program. Applying for these additional funds will extend the grant contract by at least ten months, though funding is not guaranteed. The timeline and competitive nature of the process should be discussed with landowners in advance. Contracts are typically two to three years in length, with extensions available in certain cases for up to four years. Applicants must submit specific documentation, including a certified appraisal within the contract period, ownership certification, current working lands use certification, up-to-date contract reports, and a deliverables update. Appraisal updates or recertifications may be required if valuations fall outside specified dates, and these are considered new assignments that may incur additional costs. Clear coordination with appraisers is advised to minimize delays and expenses. All applications must adhere strictly to the program’s eligibility, budget, and ranking criteria.

Coordinate with appraisers early to minimize additional costs; discuss timeline and competitive nature with landowners