USDA’s Natural Resources Service is investing in 48 conservation projects across 29 states through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program. NRCS will award $206 million for these 48 RCPP projects while leveraging nearly $300 million in partner contributions. 

“I’m excited to announce the first RCPP awards under the 2018 Farm Bill,” said NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr. “Through collaboration and aligning our resources toward a common goal, we’re making an impact for natural resource conservation that could never have been realized on our own.”

RCPP uses a partner-driven approach to fund innovative solutions to natural resource challenges. Through RCPP, NRCS and partners work together with private landowners and producers to implement a variety of conservation activities, including land management practices and systems, short-term land rentals, conservation easements and watershed structures. The mix of conservation activities carried out under each project is dependent on a project’s goals, objectives and conservation benefits.

Conservation districts are listed as the lead partner in nine of the projects: Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, Ore.; Clark Conservation District, Wash.; Gilliam SWCD, Ore.; San Rafael Conservation District, Utah; New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, N.M.; San Juan SWCD, N.M.; Minnehaha Conservation District, S.D.; Barry Conservation District, Mich.; and Berks County Conservation District, Pa.

Projects selected for this round of funding include: 

View a full list of projects here. 

“NACD is proud of all the conservation districts not only named as lead partners for RCPP this year, but also those that continue to work in partnership with their local collaborators to implement conservation through existing RCPP projects,” said National Association of Conservation Districts President Tim Palmer. “Together, we’re all working to advance conservation practices across America’s landscapes.”

Though RCPP was first authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, the 2018 Farm Bill made changes to the program and simplified its rules.  RCPP is now a stand-alone program with $300 million annually available for partner-driven projects.

Since 2015, RCPP has combined $1 billion in NRCS investments with close to $2 billion in partner dollars to implement conservation practices nationwide. There are currently 341 active RCPP projects and close to 2,000 RCPP partners.