The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on September 3 that it was requesting partner proposals for $300 million in fiscal year 2019 funding under the updated Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP was established in the 2014 Farm Bill and resulted in nearly $1 billion in NRCS funding being matched by almost $2 billion in partner funding for broad, partnership-driven conservation projects across the country. Currently there are 375 active RCPP projects with nearly 2,000 partners. The 2018 Farm Bill made RCPP a standalone program with its own dedicated funding after it originally utilized funding from other NRCS conservation programs. The revisions also reduce the funding pools to two – Critical Conservation Areas (CCA) or State/Multistate – and simplify rules for partners and producers when submitting projects. In addition, all RCPP projects must now develop and report on their environmental outcomes.

“The new RCPP offers opportunities for partners and NRCS to develop and implement unique conservation solutions that engage farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr said. “A single RCPP project can include just about any Farm Bill conservation activity that NRCS is authorized to carry out. We’re really looking forward to what our partners across the Nation propose to do with these new flexibilities.”

More information about the RCPP program including information about how to apply are available on the NRCS website.