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Explanation. This national bulletin and its attachments provide FY 2021 applicable guidance on:
• Application review and selection,
• Enrollment agreement submission, review, and execution,
• Treatment of prior-year enrollments, and
• The timeline and deadlines for implementation of ACEP.
The versions of enrollment agreements, deeds terms, and contract documents referenced in this NB must be used for new enrollments in FY 2021 and as otherwise specified in this bulletin. This guidance must be followed in conjunction with other national guidance, including but not limited to that provided in the updated NI 440-310, “NRCS Program Ranking through Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART),” NI 300-300, “Instruction and Guidance for State Implementation of Easement Internal Controls Prior to Obligation, Payment, and Closing,” NI 300-306, “Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) Program Agreements and Parcel Contracts,” and forthcoming supplemental guidance specific to the implementation of ACEP in FY 2021. The guidance provided in this bulletin is applicable to ACEP generally unless it is specifically identified that the provision only applies to the ACEP-ALE or ACEP-WRE component.
The NRCS Programs Deputy Area Easement Programs Division (EPD) will provide training as needed through net conferences and webinars. Based on questions received, regularly scheduled net conferences may be supplemented with topic-specific net conferences to address specific questions.
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