Rural Land Purchase Grants: Funding Opportunities & Eligibility

There are grants available for rural land purchase. There are several reasons why rural lands are acquired with grants including building housing facilities for farmers, expansion and maintenance of farms and other areas such as wetlands and for conservation purposes. To become eligible for grants, applicants must meet the criteria set by the program. Recipients may have to match a percentage of the grant amount.

Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants

Farm owners can receive grants from the Department of Agriculture to provide housing for their workers. The Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants program awards money for farm owners to acquire land, construct and repair housing for their temporary workers. The money can also be used to build facilities such as laundromats, dining areas and day care centers. Workers can occupy the housing facilities if they are permanent U.S. residents and the majority of their income comes from farming. Grant recipients are required to match at least 10 percent of the award amount. For more information, contact:

Multi-Family Housing Processing Division Rural Housing Service Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250 202-720-1604 rurdev.usda.gov

Farmland Protection Program

The Department of Agriculture provides funding through the Farmland Protection Program for eligible entities to purchase conservation easements in order to prevent the land from being used for nonagricultural purposes. The acquisition of easements provides the federal government with no more than a 50 percent share of the appraised fair market value. For lands that are considered erodible, a conservation plan is required by the grant program. Eligible applicants include any state, local or tribal agencies that have a farmland protection program. The recipients are required to match 25 percent of the financial award. For more information, contact:

Robert Glennon Easement Programs Division Natural Resources Conservation Service Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 2890 Washington, D.C. 20013 202-720-9476 nrcs.usda.gov

North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

Sponsored by the Department of the Interior, the North American Wetlands Conservation Funds provides grants for the protection of wetlands in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Grants can be used to acquire, restore, manage and enhance the wetland ecosystems and other wildlife habitats. The projects that are funded by the grant program must be considered long-term conservation. Eligible applicants include private or public organizations and individuals who are in a partnership to carry out conservation projects in the three North American countries. For more information, contact:

Division of Bird Habitat Conservation MBSP 4075 4401 N. Fairfax Drive Arlington, Virginia 22203 703-358-1784 fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA