David S. Doctorian, State Conservationist for Kansas, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced that producers in Greeley and Wichita Counties in Kansas are eligible to receive financial assistance under the Groundwater Recharge and Sustainability Project (GRASP). Funded by the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), GRASP is a locally led USDA partnership program to address declining aquifer levels by assisting producers with implementing voluntary irrigation conservation and efficiency practices, and by restoring playas to increase groundwater recharge. This fiscal year (FY), the ACT NOW funding process will be utilized for RCPP-GRASP.
“Financial and technical assistance is still available for managing and restoring playa wetlands,” said Doctorian. “And through this program, annual rental payments are made for lands devoted to playa restoration activities.”
Applications for RCPP-GRASP are accepted year-round, and by following the ACT NOW funding process, applications can be preapproved for funding as soon as NRCS staff completes the application ranking and review. This will facilitate a quicker turn-around to enter into a contract for participants.
The final date to apply for this second round of FY 2024 funding will be Monday, July 1, 2024. Applications received prior to the deadline will be planned, assessed, ranked, submitted in the order received, and will be preapproved based on fund availability and if a ranking score above the threshold level has been met. The threshold score for this batching period will be zero points. Applications received after the deadline will be batched and considered in the next batching period.
“The Act Now funding process will allow applicants with high-ranking scores to avoid the long processing time typically associated with conservation programs,” said Doctorian. “This will enable interested and qualified applicants to begin implementing the needed conservation practices sooner and reduce the wait time. In addition, applications that focus on playa conservation and restoration efforts near municipal and domestic water wells will receive ranking priority. Supporting recharge where it is needed most will result in water that can be used by generations.”
GRASP is supported by a diverse group of partners including Greeley and Wichita County Conservation Districts, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Groundwater Management District #1, Kansas Water Office, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Source : usda.gov