On January 13, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published a final rule that will govern implementation of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) under the 2018 Farm Bill. RCPP provides Farm Bill funding for partner-driven conservation activities that address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Changes made to the interim rule include special considerations for historically underserved producers/landowners, adjusts the rule language to incorporate source water protection as a priority resource concern, and increases the emphasis on conservation benefits and objectives during the ranking process.

“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is a powerful program that enables us to co-invest with partners on win-win solutions that benefit agriculture and natural resources,” said Kevin Norton, acting Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “The final rule contains some minor adjustments made in response to public comments, and we now look forward to continuing our work with partners to use this unique and innovative program to extend the reach of conservation.”