Effectively immediately, farmers participating in USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs will no longer need a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number, or to register in the System for Award Management (SAM). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (2018 Omnibus Bill) on March 23 eliminated these requirements.
According to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, DUNS and SAM were not designed for everyday farmers trying to support their families. These changes help streamline the customer experience of farmers, which is a top priority at USDA, he said.
“This change allows our producers to focus on getting conservation on the ground—instead of the contracting process,” said Kasey Taylor, State Conservationist. “Conservation program participants will soon receive letters from their local NRCS office with more details.”
The exemption does not apply to any current or future agreements or federal contracts with eligible entities, project sponsors, vendors, partners, or other non-exempt landowners or producers.
DUNS/SAM registration is still required for:
- Partnership agreements entered through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
- All agreements with eligible entities under the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP)
- Agreements under the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component of Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
- Partnership agreements under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) component of ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE).
- Watershed operations agreements with project sponsors.
- Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) agreements with project sponsors, including Recovery and Floodplain Easements.
- All cooperative, contribution, interagency, or partnership agreements of Federal contracts used by NRCS to procure goods or services.
NRCS reminds program participants that there is no longer a need to respond to any emails, phone calls or other communications from third-party vendors offering assistance for registering in SAMS or applying for a DUNS number.
For more information about DUNS and SAM or information on NRCS programs and services, producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA service center. In Delaware’s Sussex County, call 302-856-3990, ext. 3; in Kent County, call 302-741-2600, ext. 3; and in New Castle County, call 302-832-3100, ext. 3. Or visit www.de.nrcs.usda.gov for more information.