$260 Million Available for Conservation Partnership Projects
USDA Announces $260 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Project proposals accepted until May 10
Dover, Del., April 6, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation's water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The funding is being made available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
RCPP encourages local leadership to establish partnerships to work with farmers and forest landowners on landscape- and watershed-scale conservation solutions that work best for their region. “Together with multiple sources of funding and manpower, these public-private partnerships can have an impact well beyond what the federal government could accomplish alone,” said Terron Hillsman, Maryland State Conservationist.
Eligible partners in Delaware and Maryland are encouraged to submit their project proposals online at Grants.gov by May 10 for available funding. This will be the third round of funding for RCPP.
In the last two years, RCPP projects have left a large conservation footprint across state lines that have and will have beneficial impacts on Delaware and Maryland farmers. As an example, NRCS selected eight RCPP projects within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in 2015, including Meeting Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Goals in the Chesapeake Bay. This project brings together 15 partners to accelerate conservation and help Maryland and Delaware farmers to meet the nutrient and sediment water quality goals set forth in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
“This cooperative project addresses water quality in the Chesapeake Bay by helping Delaware and Maryland farmers install targeted animal waste management practices for livestock and poultry; and utilize advanced nutrient management practices including biochip reactors and the expanded use of cover crops,” said Kasey Taylor, Delaware State Conservationist. “It’s a win for our agricultural producers, a win for those who depend on the Bay, and a win for the improvement of our natural resources.”
Meeting WIP Goals in the Chesapeake Bay includes a $4.5 million investment from NRCS and $5.4 million from local partners, bringing more than $10 million for this locally-led approach to help producers support their ongoing business operations and address natural resource challenges in Maryland and Delaware.
“All of our selected project proposals showed that they could deliver a meaningful conservation impact to the community,” said Taylor. For this new round, NRCS is particularly interested in applications that support the development of environmental markets and conservation finance projects. Eligible partners include private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profits and other non-government organizations. RCPP funding is divided among three pools: State (25%), National (40%), and Critical Conservation Areas (CCA, 35%). To choose a funding pool, partners should consider the geographic area, agricultural land uses, and resource concerns that will be addressed through the project. Applicants should also work with their State Conservationist to identify the best funding pool for their projects. Projects may only be submitted to one funding pool.
“Maryland farmers are benefiting from seven high-impact national and regional projects that are increasing conservation on the ground,” said Hillsman. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to bring additional conservation dollars to Maryland through the State funding pool in 2017.”
Since the inception of RCPP in 2014, there have been five CCA and state projects that have made an investment to Delaware’s farmers and the agricultural community. Delaware recently funded an RCPP project proposal from the Sussex Conservation District through their State funding pool, which will increase the opportunity for beginning farmers in Sussex County to receive funds for composters or freezers through an expedited process.
NRCS is now accepting proposals for Fiscal Year 2017 RCPP funding. Pre-proposals are due May 10 through grants.gov. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website.
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