News Release

USDA Announces $260 Million Available Nationwide for Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Contact:
José A. Castro, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
787-766-5206 x.117 / 787-501-6144

San Juan, PR, March 15, 2016 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces 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 NRCS’ innovative Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and applicants must be able to match the federal award with private or local funds.

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP investments of nearly $600 million have already driven 199 partner-led projects, including 1 project in the Caribbean Area. RCPP leverages local leadership to establish partnerships that can include private companies, territorial and local governments, universities, non-profits and other non-government partners to work with farmers and forest landowners on landscape- and watershed-scale conservation solutions that work best for their region. This will be the third round of funding through RCPP, helping USDA build on record enrollment in all voluntary conservation programs, with more than 500,000 producers participating to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide.

“Across the country, locally-driven efforts are having a positive effect on conservation and production,” said Edwin Almodóvar, NRCS Caribbean Area Director. “RCPP serves as a valuable vehicle for matching federal investment and private capital to advance natural resource conservation and support agricultural production. Partners in the 84 new high-impact projects we announced in February are matching USDA funding more than two-to-one for a combined investment of over $720 million.”

“We recognize the growing interest in leveraging private capital markets to foster impact investments in conservation, sustainable agriculture and forestry,” said Almodóvar. “For this new round, we hope to see even more applications that support the development of environmental markets and conservation finance projects.”

USDA-NRCS is now accepting proposals for Fiscal Year 2017 RCPP funding. Pre-proposals are due May 10. Caribbean Area priorities for 2017 RCPP funding include:

• Excess Water – Runoff, Flooding or Ponding 
• Excess Water – Seasonal High Water Table 
• Insufficient Water – Inefficient Use of Irrigation Water 
• Insufficient Water – Inefficient Moisture Management 
• Degraded Plant Condition – Excessive Plant Pest Pressure 
• Degraded Plant Condition – Wildfire Hazard, Excessive Biomass Accumulation
• Inefficient Energy Use - Equipment and Facilities; Farming/ Ranching Practices and Field Operations

One of the 2015 RCPP projects is in the Yabucoa Agriculture Reserve. Caribbean Area NRCS is partnering with the Conservation District of Eastern Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Land Authority, Puerto Rico Agriculture Department, University of Puerto Rico Cooperative Extension Service, and the municipality of Yabucoa on a 5-year RCPP project to control excess water and improve water quality in the fertile, level lowlands of the Yabucoa Agriculture Reserve (YAR). The 10,490-acre YAR in eastern Puerto Rico is specially zoned to protect prime agricultural land. A large area of the reserve is located in the Río Guayanés floodplain, where producers suffer damages from severe and prolonged flooding to plantain, banana and other starchy crops. Project partners aim to reduce flooding duration, allow flood waters to return to the Río Guayanés and eliminate pools of stagnant water.

Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $29 billion to help producers make conservation improvements, working with as many as 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners to protect over 400 million acres nationwide, boosting soil and air quality, cleaning and conserving water and enhancing wildlife habitat. For an interactive look at USDA's work in conservation and forestry over the course of this Administration, visit https://medium.com/usda-results. For more information on applying for RCPP, visit the NRCS Caribbean Area RCPP website.

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Release No.: 2016-05