SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) is hosting an informational workshop Nov. 18, 2026 in preparation for the Fiscal Year 2027 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) sign up. (The meeting will not be recorded.)

Through ACEP-ALE, NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing perpetual Agricultural Land Easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agricultural production. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland and shrubland. Eligible partners include American Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that have farmland, rangeland, or grassland protection programs.

Panelists from the NRCS-WA Programs Staff will discuss ACEP-ALE basics from application to closing. NRCS staff will also discuss program nuances for Fiscal Year 2027 including the application sign-up deadline, an overview of the ALE application submission procedures, application map requirements, and the anticipated FY27 program timeline. Panelists from USDA’s Farm Service Agency will discuss eligibility requirements for program participants and how to obtain a receipt for service. The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) will also present on application assistance to provide land trusts with extra staffing capacity. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to engage with panelists during a facilitated question-and-answer session following the presentations.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026
Time: 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Workshop Agenda: 

• Welcome & NRCS Partnership and Funding Updates
• NRCS Programming & Resources: What’s New for FY27
• FY27 ALE Application Process
• Tips & Tricks for a Successful ALE Application with Representatives from NRCS, FSA, LTA and the Columbia Land Trust
• Q&A and Closing Remarks

The workshop will be held via Microsoft Teams. Registration is not required. To access the event, follow the workshop link below. The link is also available on the FY27 ACEP-ALE Kickoff Workshop Invitation and the Full Workshop Agenda. 

How to Join: 

Workshop Link: Click here to join the Microsoft Teams meeting
Meeting ID: 265 622 281 917 689 
Passcode: wR2L2ox3 
Dial in by phone: +1 202-650-0123,,689196435# 
Phone conference ID: 689 196 435#

More Information

For more information about ACEP-ALE, please refer to the NRCS ACEP-ALE National Webpage and the NRCS-WA ACEP-ALE Program Webpage. For questions about the workshop, please email the NRCS-WA Easement Team at nrcs.wa.easements@usda.gov.

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.