The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced in mid-February the 84 projects that would receive funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in 2016. The strategic conservation projects funded through RCPP deliver innovative landscape- and watershed-scale efforts by leveraging funds and implementation efforts of a network of public and private partners. Through these partnerships, $720 billion will be targeted to projects that will improve water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, soil health and other natural resource concerns on working farms, ranches and forests. Water quality and drought were a prime focus this year with 45 of the 84 approved projects focusing on water resources concerns.

"The Regional Conservation Partnership Program puts local partners in the driver's seat to accomplish environmental goals that are most meaningful to that community. Joining together public and private resources also harnesses innovation that neither sector could implement alone," Vilsack said. "We have seen record enrollment of privately owned lands in USDA's conservation programs under this Administration, and the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program will be instrumental in building on those numbers and demonstrating that government and private entities can work together for greater impacts on America's communities."

Less than a month later, NRCS announced on March 14 that up to $260 million in federal funds will be available for RCPP projects for 2017. Pre-proposals are due by May 10 and may be submitted through Grants.gov.