Posted May 28, 2014
On
Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senate Agriculture Committee
Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) traveled to Michigan to launch a new U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to fund public-private partnerships to
reduce water pollution, according to a news release on USDA National Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) available here. Agriculture.com
posted an article available here, ABC News here, and The Hill here.
Vilsack
also applauded Sen. Stabenow for her leadership as Agriculture Committee Chair
to improve conservation programs in Michigan and across the nation, and he
recognized her work to craft and secure passage of the Farm Bill, which
authorized USDA to create the new conservation program.
The
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) was authorized earlier this
year in the Agriculture Act and combined four programs into one.
“This is an entirely new approach to
conservation,” said Vilsack. “We’re giving private companies, local
communities, and other non-government partners a way to invest in what are
essentially clean water start-up operations. By establishing new public-private
partnerships, we can have an impact that’s well beyond what the Federal
government could accomplish on its own.”
The RCPP will competitively award
funds to private companies, universities, non-profit organizations, and local
and tribal governments specifically for their regions. The Agriculture Act gave
USDA $1.2 billion for the five-year program, with $400 million available the
first year, which it can leverage $2.4 billion through matches. Through RCPP,
partners propose conservation projects to improve soil health, water quality
and water use efficiency, wildlife habitat, and other related natural resources
on private lands.
Conservation also provides an
economic boost by stimulating local tourism. Cleaner water and wildlife
habitats provide additional opportunities for hunting, fishing, and outdoor
recreation. The outdoor recreation economy supports 6.1 million direct jobs in
federal, state, and local tax revenue and $646 billion in spending each year.
The RCPP has three funding pools:
35 percent of total program funding directed to critical conservation areas, chosen by the agriculture secretary; 40 percent directed to regional or multi-state projects through a national competitive process; and 25 percent directed to state-level projects through a competitive process established by NRCS state leaders.
35 percent of total program funding directed to critical conservation areas, chosen by the agriculture secretary; 40 percent directed to regional or multi-state projects through a national competitive process; and 25 percent directed to state-level projects through a competitive process established by NRCS state leaders.
The
critical conservation areas Secretary Vilsack announced today are: the Great
Lakes Region, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Mississippi River Basin, Longleaf Pine
Range, Columbia River Basin, California Bay Delta, Prairie Grasslands, and the
Colorado River Basin.
USDA is now accepting proposals for this program. Pre-proposals are due July 14 and full proposals are due September 26. For more information on applying, visit NRCS website here.
USDA is now accepting proposals for this program. Pre-proposals are due July 14 and full proposals are due September 26. For more information on applying, visit NRCS website here.
To learn about technical and financial assistance available through conservation programs, visit NRCS website here. For more on the 2014 Farm Bill, visit NRCS website here.
For more information on conservation
programs, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
