Ag Secretary Vilsack announces $235 million for conservation

Huron – On May 4 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an investment of up to $235 million 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), the newest conservation tool of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“This is a new, innovative approach to conservation,” said Vilsack. “This initiative allows local partners the opportunity to design and invest in conservation projects specifically tailored for their communities. These public-private partnerships can have an impact that’s well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on its own. These efforts keep our land and water clean, and promote tremendous economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, and other industries.”

In January, USDA announced the first round of RCPP applications (which represented two years’ worth of funding for fiscal years 2014 and 2015). In South Dakota, one project selected was the Central Big Sioux River Water Quality Project. This project will accomplish a wide diversity of agricultural and natural resource goals. The objectives of this project is to restore and protect the beneficial uses of the portion of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries by promoting and implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the watershed that will reduce sediment loading, lower or prevent bacterial contamination, and improve soil health.

RCPP, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, empowers local leaders to work with multiple partners—such as private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profit groups and other non-government partners—along with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to design solutions that work best for their region. Local partners and the federal government both invest funding and manpower to projects to maximize their impact. This will be the second round of projects funded through RCPP. The RCPP program helps USDA build on already-record enrollment in conservation programs, with over 500,000 producers participating to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide.

The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life.

USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP. Pre-proposals are due July 8. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website at http://1.usa.gov/1kkYT9t.