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CHAMPAIGN, IL – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
putting Farmers First by investing up to $310 million to expand
producer conservation activities across the nation through the
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). USDA’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting RCPP project
proposals now through August 24, 2026, to help farmers,
ranchers, and forest landowners boost their operations and
conserve natural resources.
“This significant investment through the Regional Conservation
Partnership Program will further enable us to leverage our
partnerships as force multipliers in supporting America’s
farmers,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “We’re looking
forward to seeing the results on the ground while we also work
to keep working lands in working hands.”
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act is delivering the largest
long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades,
including support for RCPP. It will deliver $425 million in
fiscal year 2026 and an increase to $450 million from fiscal
year 2027 through fiscal year 2031.
RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds
solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
In the past year, NRCS has improved RCPP, through streamlining
partnership agreement processes and increasing flexibilities to
ensure the program works more effectively for conservation
partners and America’s farmers and ranchers. Now, 75% of the
funding goes directly to the American farmer or is used to cover
the cost of conservation practice implementation.
About the Program
There are two separate funding opportunities:
• RCPP Classic: Projects are implemented using NRCS contracts
and easements with producers, landowners and communities in
collaboration with project partners.
• RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (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.
NRCS ranks proposals based on how they address the following
priorities:
• Addressing soil health, water quality, or wildlife habitat
with an aim to improve land health, enhance resource management,
and promote sustainable agriculture and long-term protection of
agricultural, grassland, and forestland viability.
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• Soil health projects using practices
that focus on minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing soil cover,
increasing natural vitality, and maintaining living roots throughout
the year.
• Leveraging precision agriculture
technologies to target conservation efforts based on specific field
conditions, potentially reducing costs and improving resource
efficiency.
• Focusing on Farmers First projects, especially those that provide
technical and financial assistance via contributions for planning
and practice designs to support producer contracts.
• Supporting projects led by Indian Tribes.
More Information
The $310 million is available for both RCPP Classic and AFA
projects, including a $30 million set aside for projects with Indian
Tribes.
Details about RCPP Classic and RCPP AFAs are available on Grants.gov.
Project proposals for RCPP are being accepted through August 24,
2026, on the RCPP
portal. For more information about RCPP, visit the
RCPP website.
This investment builds on other recent NRCS investments to engage
partners to extend the reach of conservation. In late May, NRCS
announced its plans to invest $65 million through Conservation
Innovation Grants.
For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and
forestland owners make investments in their operations and local
communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and
wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to
help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and
increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides
one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works
with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary,
incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit
nrcs.usda.gov.
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