The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched a new online tool that allows farmers and private forest landowners to conduct business with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) remotely. With the launch of Conservation Client Gateway, producers will have the ability to work with conservation planners online to access Farm Bill programs, request assistance, and track payments for their conservation activities.
“This tool saves producers that extra trip or even phone call to their USDA service center because now the desired information can be accessed from a computer through Conservation Client Gateway,” said NRCS State Conservationist Kasey Taylor.
Conservation Client Gateway enables farmers and private landowners to securely:
- Request NRCS technical and financial assistance;
- Review and sign conservation plans and practice schedules;
- Apply for a conservation program;
- Review, sign and submit contracts and appendices for conservation programs;
- Document completed practices and manage certification of completed practices;
- Request, track and view payments for conservation programs; and
- Store and retrieve technical and financial files, including documents and photographs.
Conservation Client Gateway is entirely voluntary, giving producers a choice between conducting business online or traveling to a USDA service center.
Conservation Client Gateway is available to individual landowners and will soon be extended to business entities, such as Limited Liability Corporations. It is part of the agency’s ongoing Conservation Delivery Streamlining Initiative, which will feature additional capabilities in the future.
For more information about Conservation Client Gateway, visit: www.nrcs.usda.gov/clientgateway.