To Wyoming Citizens:
Welcome to the Wyoming State FSA Website. The Farm Service Agency serves farmers, ranchers and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs. The agency offers farmers a strong safety net through the administration of farm commodity and disaster programs. FSA continues to conserve natural resources and also provides credit to agricultural producers who are unable to receive private, commercial credit, including special emphasis on beginning, underserved and women farmers and ranchers.
Wyoming FSA is excited about planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in ways that make a real difference in the lives of our ranchers and farmers. Our goal is to provide the very best customer service possible and to truly connect with agricultural producers statewide.
The hard working men and women of our 17 FSA county offices are at the forefront of our efforts and remains the primary contact for program participation. We encourage you to speak with the staff at your local office on how we can be of service. Our website can help you learn more about FSA programs and services and help you locate your local FSA service center.
Thank you for your interest!
Wyoming State FSA Office
Wyoming State Committee
- Committee Chair Gregor Goertz - Wheatland
- John Hester – Keeline
- Grant Stumbough – Casper
- Cindy Garretson-Weibel - Cheyenne
Discrimination Financial Assistance Program
The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program is a new program, authorized by Section 22007(e) of the Inflation Reduction Act, that will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to 2021.
Details about the program, including an application and e-filing portal, are available at 22007apply.gov. Applicants can also call the free call center at 1-800-721-0970.
Filing an application is FREE and does not require a lawyer. The application period is open and runs through October 31, 2023.
Farm Service Agency Accepting Nominations for County Committees June 15 through Aug. 1
Nominations for local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections begin on June 15. Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Agricultural producers who serve on committees work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers. All nomination forms for the 2023 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2023.
For more information on FSA county committees, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Important Election Dates
- June 15, 2023: The nomination period begins.
- Aug. 1, 2023: Last day to file nomination forms.
- Nov. 6, 2023: Ballots mailed to eligible voters.
- Dec. 4, 2023: Last day to return completed ballots to the USDA Service Center.
- Jan. 1, 2024: Newly elected county committee members take office.
USDA Announces Historic Investment in Wildlife Conservation, Expands Partnership to Include Additional Programs
$500 Million from Farm Bill Is Part of Broader Commitment from FSA and NRCS to Working Lands Conservation that Benefits Wildlife and Supports Agriculture and Rural Communities
BOULDER, Colo., June 27, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing that it will expand its work on wildlife conservation by investing at least $500 million over the next five years and by leveraging all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), through its Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) effort. These commitments, which align with President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes with a focus on working lands in key geographies across the country as well as hiring for key conservation positions. The funding will help deliver a series of cohesive Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge.
The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Today’s announcement builds off more than a decade of growing Farm Bill investments in wildlife habitat, and serves as a roadmap to leveraging both Farm Bill funding and the historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act to guide conservation efforts. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will coordinate this work through WLFW, which focuses on voluntary, locally-led efforts that benefit wildlife and agricultural communities.
“When you find a conservation approach that works, double down—and that’s what we’re doing with Working Lands for Wildlife,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, who briefed state leaders today at the Western Governors Association meeting in Boulder, Colorado. “America’s farmers, ranchers, forest owners and tribes steward the majority of our nation’s wildlife habitat, and our work with them has yielded enormous gains for sage grouse, longleaf pine, and other species and ecosystems. Working Lands for Wildlife is ready to go to the next level, and today’s incorporation of the Conservation Reserve Program into its vision is a major leap forward. We pledge to keep building the policy, funding, and human capacity to deliver large-scale, working-lands conservation well into the future.”
USDA is committed to investing a range of resources to implement WLFW Frameworks, including traditional Farm Bill and newly available funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Frameworks are an important part of NRCS’s work to implement the Inflation Reduction Act, as wildlife habitat conservation in forests, grasslands and sagebrush can also provide important carbon storage opportunities and climate-mitigation benefits. These dedicated funds will be invested alongside other USDA resources like CRP and leveraged by hundreds of conservation partners across the country.
Today’s announcement will immediately benefit two of WLFW’s newest priorities. In the western U.S., at least $40 million of EQIP and ACEP funding will go toward USDA’s ongoing efforts to help conserve migratory big game habitat, allowing a continuation of an existing partnership with the state of Wyoming and an expansion to the neighboring states of Idaho and Montana. In 25 central and eastern U.S. states, an additional $14 million in new EQIP funding will be dedicated to conservation of bobwhite quail and associated species in the grasslands and savannas of the central and eastern U.S. Additionally, Inflation Reduction Act funding will also build outcomes for northern bobwhite recovery as over 3.5 million acres will help mitigate greenhouse gases.
Science and Staff Support
Successful delivery of WLFW hinges on developing Frameworks and, with their guidance, delivering enough of the right conservation in the right places to generate desired outcomes. This requires scientists to help identify priorities, develop planning tools, and have enough staff available to work with producers to develop customized conservation plans while recognizing that each producer’s operation is unique.
To meet these needs, USDA is committing new funding and human resources, including $30 million over five years to help implement the Farm Bill investments by bolstering the WLFW team’s science and coordination capacity through partnerships. Additionally, WLFW will benefit from NRCS’ hiring initiative meant to increase boots on the ground to assist producers, states, tribes and other partners to meet their climate and conservation goals.
Frameworks for Conservation Action
WLFW Frameworks establish a common vision and conservation goals for a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with the deep local knowledge held by landowners, states and tribes. With key priorities and threats identified, the Frameworks are then used to align and funnel multiple funding streams to maximize outcomes at large scales across state boundaries. Whereas historically NRCS has delivered WLFW, today’s commitment unites NRCS and FSA to seamlessly deliver this focused, win-win approach to wildlife conservation.
As an illustration of the Frameworks’ utility and impact, in the Sagebrush and Great Plains Grasslands ecosystems identified residential development, cropland conversion, invasive species, and woodland encroachment as key threats, and committed to addressing them across 11.5 million acres—an area five times the size of Yellowstone. Similarly, the Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands, and Savannas framework identified woodland encroachment, loss of prescribed burning, and climate change as major threats and WLFW set a goal of 7 million acres by 2027 across 25 central and eastern states.
Specifically, USDA will update three existing WLFW frameworks in the Sagebrush Biome, Great Plains Grasslands, and Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands and Savannas to newly integrate FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program. USDA will also work with partners on the ground to develop four new frameworks to be released in 2024-25:
- Western Migratory Big Game: A strategy to maintain large and connected working lands in the West to help sustain some of our nation’s iconic wildlife migrations.
- Eastern Deciduous Forest: A strategy to achieve forest health and habitat restoration that benefits declining wildlife dependent on young forests.
- Eastern Aquatic Connectivity: A strategy to guide restoration of rivers and wetlands to support habitat connectivity in watersheds with significant at-risk species.
- Southeastern Pine Ecosystems: A strategy to establish and maintain native pines with cultural, ecological and economic value.
“The Conservation Reserve Program gives producers the tools and support to help integrate wildlife habitat and wildlife-friendly practices into the agricultural landscape,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We’re excited to partner with our sister agency and offer CRP’s signup options as part of this broader, strategic effort to support long-term wildlife conservation.”
“Working Lands for Wildlife is living proof that we can do better work when we work with our partners,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “Partnerships have been the building blocks of success over the years, and we look forward to our continued work with partners to help grow and shape voluntary conservation on private lands.”
About USDA’s Working Lands for Wildlife
WLFW is USDA’s premier approach for conserving American working lands to benefit people, wildlife and rural communities. While NRCS and FSA work every day at all levels to assist producers, states, tribes and other conservation partners with their conservation priorities, WLFW steps in to facilitate their work on cross-cutting, national priorities that can only be addressed through coordination at an ecosystem scale.
Established in 2010, WLFW has teamed up with leading scientists and conservation partners as well as more than 8,400 producers to conserve or restore nearly 12 million acres of working lands, with tremendous benefits. WLFW has helped many sensitive species in their recovery, including the greater sage-grouse in the West, New England cottontail in the Northeast, golden-winged warbler in Appalachia and gopher tortoise in the Southeast. In large part because of the voluntary conservation efforts on private lands though WLFW, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has in some cases determined that species listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was no longer warranted thanks to recoveries made possible by these WLFW efforts.
Through WLFW, NRCS also partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide participants with regulatory predictability under ESA. Similar to an insurance policy, predictability provides participating landowners with peace of mind that no matter the future legal status of a species, they can keep their working lands working with an approved conservation plan in place.
More Information
To learn more about NRCS and FSA programs including opportunities related to these frameworks, landowners and operators can contact their local USDA Service Center.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov and Frameworks for Conservation Action.
USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers Impacted by Recent Winter Storms Recovery Assistance Available for Livestock Losses in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming Casper, WY, March 21, 2023 – Agricultural operations in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming have been significantly impacted by recent snowstorms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages. “These recent winter storms have taken their toll on livestock producers in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming leaving producers with snow removal costs as well as increased feed expenses,” said Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC). “We stand with our producers who have worked tirelessly in these severe conditions to keep livestock fed and to protect crops from Mother Nature’s wrath. We know these storms have left damage in their wake, and I’m glad that USDA offers a strong portfolio of disaster assistance programs available to help.” USDA Disaster Recovery Assistance Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for feed and grazing losses. ELAP also includes costs associated with equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal. For ELAP, producers will need to file a notice of loss within 30 days and honeybee losses within 15 days. Additionally, eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for cost-share assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes or vines lost. This complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program application must be filed within 90 days. FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses or refinance farm-related debts and other needs. Additionally, FSA has a variety of loan servicing options available for borrowers who are unable to make scheduled payments on their farm loan programs debt to the Agency because of reasons beyond their control. Risk Management Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA’s NAP should report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or FSA office. If they have crop insurance, producers should provide a notice of loss to their agent within 72 hours of initial discovery of damage and follow up in writing within 15 days. For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours. A recent policy change simplifies the NAP application process for underserved producers, allowing form CCC-860 Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification to serve as an application for basic NAP coverage for all eligible crops. These producers will have all NAP-related service fees for basic coverage waived, in addition to a 50% premium reduction if higher levels of coverage are elected. Conservation FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore fencing, damaged farmland or forests. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is always available to provide technical assistance during the recovery process by assisting producers to plan and implement conservation practices on farms, ranches and working forests impacted by natural disasters. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters. More Information Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producers impacted by winter storms. Those resources include the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool. For FSA and NRCS programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov |
USDA Names Appointees to the Wyoming Farm Service Agency State Committee The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced appointees who will serve on the Wyoming USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) state committee. Members of the FSA state committee are appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and are responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders, keeping producers informed about FSA programs and operating in a manner consistent with USDA equal opportunity and civil rights policies. Each FSA state committee is comprised of three to five members including a designated chairperson. The individuals appointed to serve on this committee for Wyoming are:
“The FSA state committee members play an integral role in the continuity of operations, equitable and inclusive program administration and ensure the overall integrity of services to the nation’s agricultural producers,” said Marcus Graham, FSA Deputy Administrator for Field Operations. “These individuals have proven themselves to be leaders, early adopters and key influencers in the agriculture industry in their respective states – qualities that will serve them well in these key Biden-Harris Administration leadership positions. The Farm Service Agency serves farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural partners through the effective, efficient, and equitable delivery of federal agricultural programs. The Agency offers producers a strong safety net through the administration of farm commodity and disaster programs. Additionally, through conservation programs, FSA continues to preserve and protect natural resources and provides credit to agricultural producers who are unable to receive private, commercial credit, including targeted loan funds for beginning, underserved, women and military veterans involved in production agriculture. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov. |
Wyoming Producers Can Now Apply for Assistance through New USDA-Wyoming Big Game Conservation Partnership
CASPER, Wyoming, Nov. 10, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications from Wyoming agricultural producers for assistance through the new Big Game Conservation Partnership. Signups are open for opportunities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Through this partnership with the State of Wyoming, USDA is investing additional, dedicated funds in Wyoming for big game conservation, adding additional staffing and streamlining processes for producers.
“Based on extensive feedback from the state of Wyoming and stakeholders, this partnership offers producers a package of opportunities they can choose from to meet their operations’ unique conservation needs,” said Andi Neugebauer, NRCS Acting State Conservationist in Wyoming. “We’re excited to be accepting applications for assistance through this new partnership that advances our commitment to support voluntary, locally led, producer-driven conservation efforts.”
This year, NRCS is investing $6 million in additional EQIP assistance and $10 million in additional ACEP funding in Wyoming for big game conservation. EQIP focuses on integrating practices on working lands, such as prescribed grazing systems and cheatgrass control. ACEP assists producers who want to protect sensitive landscapes and prime farmlands from conversion to non-compatible land uses such as residential subdivision through establishment of long-term conservation easements. In addition to the opportunities announced today, producers will also be able to sign up for a habitat lease through the Grassland CRP program in early 2023.
The pilot is open to producers in Wyoming statewide, but there are several priority areas where big game migrations are known to be prevalent, especially in Carbon, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Park, Sublette, Sweetwater, Fremont, and Teton counties (see map below).
While NRCS accepts applications for programs on a continuous basis, to be considered for the next funding cycles, producers should submit EQIP applications by November 23, 2022, and ACEP applications by November 23, 2022, and January 18, 2023.
To apply or learn more, producers should contact NRCS at their local USDA Service Center or go to farmers.gov/conservation/wildlife/migration-pilot.
Habitat Leasing through the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program
Following the EQIP and ACEP signups, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will offer a Habitat Lease through the FY23 Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup, which will provide another option for Wyoming ranchers and producers. FSA will announce signup dates soon. Grassland CRP is a working lands program, helping producers and landowners to protect grassland over a 10- to 15-year contract while enabling haying and grazing activities to continue.
As part of this Habitat Lease pilot, USDA has developed special guidance that allows better compatibility between USDA programs, enabling producers to stack different Farm Bill program benefits in ways that fit their specific requirements.
“Grassland CRP provides a unique opportunity for producers who want to effectively manage land for livestock and wildlife, all while providing meaningful conservation benefits,” said William Bunce, FSA State Executive Director in Wyoming. “We’re very excited that Grassland CRP will contribute to this important partnership, and we’ll have more information to share soon.”
More Information
The Big Game Conservation Partnership was announced in May 2022 and formalized in October 2022 through an agreement signed by Wyoming’s Governor Mark Gordon and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. It leverages and complements other ongoing conservation efforts on working lands such as those conducted under the Working Lands for Wildlife’s (WLFW) Framework for Conservation Action in the Great Plains Grasslands and Sagebrush Biome, unveiled last year by USDA. Both efforts emphasize a commitment to voluntary, incentive-based approaches; identifies and elevates the critical role of private, working lands; and stresses the importance of supporting state, tribal, and landowners to advance their conservation priorities. The pilot also further focuses FSA’s commitment to assisting producers in protecting and maintaining grasslands through grazing and for supporting plant and animal biodiversity within National Priority Zones.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
FSA Program Deadlines:
Acreage Reports:
- July 15 – Soybeans, corn, and other spring-planted feed grains, CRP, Hemp, and other crops
- November 15 – Apiculture (bees), fall -seeded small grains
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Signup: January 4 to (will be announced at a later date)
Continuous CRP Signup: Ongoing
Quality Loss Adjustment Program ( QLA) Signup: January 6 to April 9
CRP Grasslands Signup: March 15 to April 23
Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC):
- July 15 – Final date to report production for the preceding crop year
- October 20 – Election and enrollment begin for the applicable year
- March 15 – Election and enrollment end for the applicable year
Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP):
- Within 30 days after the end of the year in which the grazing loss occurred – submit Application for Payment and supporting documentation
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP):
- Within 30 days of noticing Livestock loss or injury – Submit Notice of Loss
- Within 60 days after the end the year in which loss or injury occurred– Submit Application for Payment
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP):
- Within 30 days of livestock feed or pasture losses/issues due to extreme weather – Submit Notice of Loss
- Within 60 days after the end the year in which loss occurred– Submit Application for Payment
Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) Availability- from harvest to the below deadline:
- January 31 - Wool, Mohair and LDP only for Unshorn Pelts
- March 31 - Barley, Canola, Flaxseed, Honey, Oats, Rapeseed, Sesame seed and Wheat
- May 31 - Corn, Dry peas, Grain sorghum, Lentils, Mustard seed, Safflower, Small chickpeas, Large chickpeas, Soybeans and Sunflower seed
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP):
- December 1 – All perennial grasses, alfalfa, clover, mixed forage, and honey
- March 15 – Hemp
- April 1 – All spring seeded crops
- Within 15 days of crop loss – Submit Notice of Loss
- November 15 (varies by crop) – Final day to submit Application for Payment
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