USDA NRCS $5M Wetland and Floodplain Easement Restoration and Stewardship Funding (FY2027)

USDA announced $5 million in NRCS funding to help agricultural producers and private landowners assess, restore, and steward wetlands and floodplains through conservation easements. Draws from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP-WRE) and the Emergency Watershed Protection Floodplain Easement (EWP-FPE) programs. Compost application for increasing the water-holding capacity of soil is an eligible practice, alongside structural practices (levees, water control structures) and vegetative work (tree planting).

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making $5 million available to support restoration and stewardship of wetlands and floodplains on agricultural lands enrolled in long-term conservation easements. Eligible easements include the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Floodplain Easement (FPE) component of the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. Eligible practices include structural work such as levees and water control structures, vegetative restoration such as tree planting, and compost application for soil water-holding capacity. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 19, 2026. NRCS anticipates making selections by December 17, 2026, with awards executed in early 2027 (NRCS announcement contains a date typo of February 2026). Per OpenGrants, individual awards range from $250,000 to $5,000,000. This opportunity was surfaced to H2O via Mary Burris at Lawrence County Conservation District, forwarded from Jerry Zona (Lawrence-Mercer Recycling) and Jessica Shilladay (PA DEP), originating from a US Composting Council member alert.