PARIS — The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are accepting applications for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) until Jan. 7. The program is jointly administered by FSA and NRCS.

GRP is a voluntary program that helps landowners restore and protect grassland, pastureland and other lands, and provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands and conserving water resources.

“Enrollment of land in GRP will have a positive economic impact and improve environmental quality by preventing the conversion of grassland to other uses, including crop production and urban development,” said Marcia Hall, county executive director for FSA in Oxford County.

Nationally, privately-owned grassland and shrublands cover more than 525 million acres in the United States, with over 200,000 of those acres being in Maine.

“When properly managed, grasslands can result in cleaner water supplies, healthier riparian areas and reduced sediment loadings in streams and other water bodies,” said Lance Gorham, district conservationist for NRCS in Oxford County.

GRP offers producers several enrollment options: permanent easements, rental agreements (10-, 15- or 20-year duration) and restoration agreements.

Sign-up is available on a continuous basis. Landowners can sign up for the program at their local USDA Service Center. The Oxford County center is located at 17 Olson Road, South Paris, or by calling 207-743-5789, ext. 2 or 3. Applications that have been received by Jan. 7 will be considered for funding in this ranking and evaluation period.

Additional information on GRP is available on the Web at http://www.me.nrcs.usda.gov/ or http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

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