Agricultural Conservation Program

{{Short description|U.S. conservation incentive program}}

The Agricultural Conservation Program (ACP) was a United States government program administered by the Farm Service Agency. It was the first conservation cost-sharing program, established by Congress in 1936 in the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act.United States. Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936. {{uspl|74|461}} Approved February 29, 1936.{{cite web |title=Honoring 85 Years of NRCS – A Brief History |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?cid=nrcs143_021392 |access-date=2020-05-17 |publisher=U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-date=2020-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712014646/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?cid=nrcs143_021392 |url-status=dead }} The ACP and paid farmers up to $3,500 per year{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} as an incentive to install approved practices for soil conservation and to protect water quality.

The ACP was terminated in the 1996 farm bill and replaced by a new Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).United States. Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. {{uspl|104|127}} Approved April 4, 1996.