The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
Two Iowa projects will receive $45.7 million in funding. Selected RCPP projects, including those in Iowa, will help farmers and forest landowners adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. Nationwide, partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the federal investment.
Selected Iowa projects:
- Climate-Smart Feed Management: Absolute Enteric Methane Reductions in Iowa via 3-NOP (AgSpire Inc., $20.76 million) - Partners will work with up to 75 Iowa beef feedlots to introduce 3-NOP into the diets of approximately 225,000 cattle to reduce enteric methane emissions by up to 25 percent. The project expects to achieve a reduction of up to 72,000 MT CO2e.
- Iowa Driftless Floodplain Resilience and Restoration Project (Resource Conservation & Development for Northeast Iowa, $25 million) – Project aims to reduce field sediment and nutrient loss by taking marginal floodplain agriculture land, susceptible to extreme sediment loss, out of production through floodplain easements.
Today’s investment is made with funding available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda and the largest investment in climate action and conservation in world history, which has enabled USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to boost funding for RCPP. In total, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $19.5 billion to support USDA’s oversubscribed conservation programs, including $4.95 billion for RCPP.
“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is an example of public-private partnership at its best,” said Jon Hubbert, State Conservationist in Iowa for NRCS. “Thanks to the boost in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act we’re able to invest even more in this popular and important program and increase our conservation impact across the country, supporting our nation’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners while at the same time protecting our natural resources for the future.”
“America’s working lands and forests are crucial in our fight against the climate crisis—from sequestering carbon pollution to absorbing the impact of storms and floods,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “Today’s awards make sure that the people who know those landscapes best—farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners—have the resources they need to lead this important work.”
NRCS also set aside $100 million for Tribal-led projects, part of a broader effort to support Tribes and Tribal producers through NRCS conservation programs. From this set aside, NRCS has made seven awards to five different tribes and tribal entities.
By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation.
See the list of all the 92 awarded projects here.
Projects are being awarded under both RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners. Through RCPP AFA, the lead partner works directly with agricultural producers to support the development of innovative conservation approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic.
Source : usda.gov