RICHMOND — The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia is announcing that program applications to be evaluated for funding in Fiscal Year 2026 must be received by the applicant’s local NRCS service center by the close of business on Oct. 10, 2025.
The programs sharing the deadline are the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Applicants must additionally be 100 percent eligible by close of business on Dec. 12, 2025, to be considered for funding in the upcoming fiscal year.
Each applicant must establish themselves as a USDA customer and obtain all Farm Service Agency (FSA) eligibility requirements by Dec. 12. Applicants should note that Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) determination takes an average of three weeks to be processed by the Internal Revenue Service. It is highly recommended that applicants submit their completed AGI form to FSA several weeks prior to the FSA eligibility determination. Anyone submitting an AGI form to FSA on the last day of the application period will fail to meet the deadline for consideration during FY2026.
Although applications are accepted on a year-round basis, eligible applicants interested in ACEP, CSP, EQIP and/or RCPP must first submit their application to their local service center by Oct. 10 and then submit the following eligibility determinations to FSA by Dec. 12:
Highly erodible lands and wetland determination (AD 1026)
Adjusted Gross Income form (CCC 941)
Farm and track eligibility determination
Farm operating plan (CCC 902)
Additional documentation may be required for ACEP applications.
NRCS will conduct an assessment and rank all eligible applications received by the deadline and will fund applications in ranking order as available funding allows.
