Joint Newsletter - January 2026
In This Issue:
 The U. S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Pacific Islands Area announces a Jan. 15, 2026, batching deadline for the first round of funding key conservation programs.
This batching date ensures Pacific Islands Area producers have a clear, consistent timeline for participating in Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, and Agricultural Management Assistance. This includes NRCS’ new Regenerative Pilot Program, which provides targeted Farmer First assistance through EQIP and CSP.
“The NRCS team continues its commitment to Pacific Islands Area’s producers — advancing conservation, strengthening service delivery, and keeping our promise to the men and women who feed and fuel our nation,” said NRCS Pacific Islands Area Director J.B. Martin. “Our programs are built on a simple but powerful foundation: putting farmers first, preserving family farms, and strengthening America’s food supply—because USDA works for the American people.”
NRCS programs are continuous sign-up programs, but due to the government shutdown, the agency is implementing an initial national batching period to ensure producers have access to funding and support.
Updated NRCS Program Timelines
- All NRCS conservation programs remain continuous sign-up.
- Farmers and ranchers have until 15, 2026, to apply for the first batching period.
- National and State Conservation Innovation Grants will follow later in the year.
- PL-566 and Emergency Watershed Protection opportunities remain open for sponsors based on available funding.
Pacific Islands Area Programs with a Jan. 15, 2026, batching period deadline include:
Act Now: EQIP & CSP
In 2026, NRCS Pacific Islands Area will utilize Act Now minimum ranking thresholds to expedite contract obligation for EQIP and CSP applications. Producers do not need to apply separately to Act Now. They will be considered for priority funding when applying for eligible practices through EQIP and CSP.
States determine their respective Act Now minimum ranking thresholds, fund pools and eligible practices. The process enables states to preapprove a ranked application in a ranking pool designated for Act Now when an application meets or exceeds a state’s predetermined minimum threshold ranking score. Learn more about the minimum ACT Now thresholds for Pacific Islands Area applicants by visiting ACT Now in PIA on the NRCS Pacific Islands Area website.
Applications are processed in the order they are received, and applications that rank at or above the state-established threshold ranking score will be preapproved, if funds are available. When the available Act Now funding limit has been reached, remaining applications may be considered in other relevant ranking pools or rolled over to the next funding cycle.
Once a producer’s application is pre-approved, they must still meet eligibility requirements including establishing a farm tract number with USDA’s Farm Service Agency if they have not previously utilized USDA programs. After establishing eligibility, producers must complete the planning process and receive notice of approval from NRCS prior to beginning work. Projects started before final contract approval are ineligible for cost-share assistance unless the producer has been granted an early start waiver.
More Information
For more information, please visit nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revised the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee voting period, and eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country should receive ballots beginning the week of Jan. 5.
Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots postmarked by Feb. 2, 2026, for those ballots to be counted. Newly elected members will take office on March 2, 2026.
To be eligible to vote in the county committee elections, producers must participate or cooperate in a USDA program and be assigned to the LAA that is up for election. Each year, at least one LAA in each COC jurisdiction is up for election on a three-year rotation, and each producer is assigned to vote in a single LAA. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agriculture community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are comprised of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members play a key role in how FSA delivers disaster recovery, safety-net, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other agricultural issues.
Ballots must be postmarked or delivered in person to the local FSA office by close of business Feb. 2, 2026, to be counted. Newly elected committee members will take office March 2, 2026. Producers can identify LAAs up for election through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and may confirm their LAA by contacting their local FSA office. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from their local FSA county office.
Visit fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information on county committee elections. To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
USDA announced major updates to federal crop insurance, reducing red tape for farmers, modernizing long-standing policies, and expanding access to critical risk protection beginning with the 2026 crop year. The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first.
Learn more about the EARP Final Rule.
The new customer kiosks from USDA’s Farm Service Agency are available at every county office nationwide. These kiosks help to streamline your visit to your local county office and easily access a variety of features such as signing FSA documents, utilizing the Loan Assistance Tool, browsing USDA programs, accessing the internet, accessing necessary personal information, and signing up for a Login.gov account, which provides access to farmers.gov level two features and other USDA and U.S. Government web resources. Future kiosk functionality enhancements include a customer check-in application, self-service option for FSA program applications and documents, financial inquiries and more.
Learn more about how FSA is modernizing our customer experience here.
January 14, 2026 - Deadline to signup for Emergency Conservation Program for Honolulu County, Kunia Wildfires
Top of page
USDA in Hawaii and Pacific Basin
Service Center Locator
Deputy State Executive Director - Shirley Nakamura
Natural Resources Conservation Service
State Director - J.B. Martin
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