Article Summary –
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated $1.5 billion to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for fiscal year 2024 to support conservation and climate solutions. The funding will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources and address the climate crisis. Applications for project proposals, which can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity, are open until July 2, 2024.
Record $1.5 Billion in Fiscal Year 2024 Available for Climate Solutions through Conservation Partnership Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces the availability of an unprecedented $1.5 billion for climate-smart agriculture in fiscal year 2024, through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Project proposals are accepted from now till July 2, 2024, aiming to assist farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to implement and expand conservation strategies. These projects will enhance natural resources, address climate change, save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity.
This investment is a part of the USDA’s efforts since the onset of the Biden-Harris administration, including the Inflation Reduction Act and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, supporting over 180,000 farms and more than 225 million acres for the next 5 years.
The capital is made available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest climate investment ever made, allowing USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase funding for RCPP. NRCS also announces advancements in streamlining and simplifying RCPP for better implementation.
Two Funding Opportunities: RCPP Classic and RCPP AFA
Two separate funding opportunities are being announced: RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects operate using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners, and communities in collaboration with project partners. Meanwhile, RCPP AFA enables the lead partner to work directly with agricultural producers to implement innovative conservation strategies. $100 million is set aside for Tribal-led projects across both funding opportunities.
Funding Priorities and RCPP Proposals
The 2024 RCPP funding priorities include climate-smart agriculture, urban agriculture, conservation, and environmental justice, advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and America the Beautiful initiative. Proposals for RCPP are accepted through the RCPP portal. Details on the RCPP Classic and RCPP AFA funding opportunities are found on Grants.gov.
RCPP Improvement Effort and Future Plans
Following feedback and expert recommendations, NRCS identified several RCPP improvements for implementation in 2024, including streamlined agreement negotiation, updated policy and business tools, comprehensive training for program managers, and delegation of more authority to State Conservationists. The goal is to reduce negotiation time from 15 months to 6 months, with further reductions planned for future years. For a complete list of RCPP improvements, visit the RCPP website.
—
Read More Kitchen Table News
