According to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, DUNS and SAM were designed for billion-dollar government contractors, not everyday farmers trying to support their families. These changes help streamline the customer experience of farmers, which is a top priority at the USDA, he said.
"This change greatly simplifies the contracting process for our customers and staff," said Acting NRCS Chief Leonard Jordan. "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 nonexempt landowners or producers.
DUNS and 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 Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)
- Agreements under the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component of 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 advises participants in its programs to ignore any emails, phone calls or other communications from third-party vendors offering assistance for registering in SAMS or applying for a DUNS number.
To learn more about NRCS financial and technical assistance, visit the NRCS website. 
—From USDA news release
