LEWISTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces that applications are being accepted for a new program to help landowners conserve grasslands through easements and long-term agreements. The voluntary contracts are designed to provide farmers the flexibility to graze pastureland while preserving and protecting the ecological benefits of eligible lands.

The Grassland Reserve Program received $49.9 million this fiscal year to protect 2 million acres of privately owned grassland, rangeland and pastureland throughout the nation. Applications will be accepted at USDA service centers on a continuing basis and additional funding will be available for the program through the 2007 fiscal year.

Mike Tardy, executive director for the Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County Farm Service Agency, said the program will offer several enrollment options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, rental agreements (in 10-, 15-, 20- or 30-year duration) and restoration agreements.

Participants applying for permanent easements will receive a payment based on the fair market value of the property less the grazing value. For 30-year easements, the payment will equal 30 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement, minus the land’s grazing value. Rental agreements provide yearly payments equal to 75 percent of the land’s grazing value for the length of the agreement. In Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties, that is equal to $10 an acre.

The program will help protect farmland, provide some revenue to farmers and help ensure this open-space is available to farmers in the future.

Ground used for the production of hay may also be enrolled; however, there are harvesting restrictions on the land during the wildlife nesting season.

Properly managed grasslands and pasture can result in cleaner water supplies, healthier riparian areas and reduced sediment loading in streams and other water bodies. The lands also improve the aesthetic character of the landscape, provide scenic vistas and open space, provide for recreational activities and protect the soil from water and wind erosion.

Although sign-up is on-going, the final application date for this period is Aug. 8. Applications will be ranked based on the land’s vulnerability to cropping and development, location and other factors.

To participate, offers must be on privately owned land that includes at least 40 contiguous acres. Waivers may be authorized for less than the required acreage if a smaller parcel is capable of achieving the program’s goals. Additional eligibility criteria apply.

For more information, contact the Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County USDA service center at 753-9400, extension 300, or visit the USDA Web site, www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.