USDA Opens $1.5B Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Eligible applicants: vary. Applications are due July 2, 2024
Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity
Opportunity: USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Overview and Eligible Uses: The RCPP promotes the adoption and expansion of conservation strategies to enhance natural resources among farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.
Applicants can apply to one of two funding pools. The Critical Conservation Area (CCA) funding pool supports projects that address identified “priority resource concerns” in one of eight defined geographic areas. The state and multi-state funding pool supports projects within a single state or multi-state region.
Eligible activities include land management, rental, easements, and watershed projects.
Funding priorities include climate-smart agriculture, urban agriculture, conservation, and environmental justice.
There are two opportunities under the RCPP program: RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects include contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities. RCPP AFA supports innovative conservation approaches among agricultural producers through a lead partner in arrangements that are not otherwise available under RCPP Classic.
Amount: A total of $1.5B is available, with up to $100 million for partnership agreements with Indian tribes. Award sizes are expected to range between $250k and $25M.
Award Type: Programmatic partnership agreements
Eligible Applicants: A range of entity types are eligible partners, including state, local, and Tribal governments; associations and cooperatives of farmers and agricultural producers; water districts; municipal water or wastewater treatment entities; higher education institutions; conservation districts; and other organizations with a relevant established history.
Key Dates: Applications are due July 2, 2024
Key Links:
Grants.gov opportunity (RCPP Classic)
Grants.gov opportunity (RCPP AFA)
For a full list of currently available grant programs under the Infrastructure Law and other helpful tools, take a look at our Helpful Resources page.
This tracker will continue to send updates when new funding opportunities are announced.