The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing a record $1.5 billion in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions in FY 2024 through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The funding marks a 50% increase from 2023, following an unprecedented demand in the program, which has been streamlined and simplified for FY 2024.
Projects funded in 2023 include an irrigation improvement program on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Northern Montana, a climate-smart forest conservation project led by Georgia Conservancy, Inc., a Texas Grasslands & Savannas Initiative to permanently protect lands and improve soil health, and a California-focused project to support dairy farmers as they seek to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Secretary Vilsack said, “Through the increase in funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, we’re able to invest even more this year in this important program, increasing our impact across the landscape. We’re looking forward to seeing what the more streamlined and customer-oriented Regional Conservation Partnership Program can do to get more conservation on the ground in the coming months and years.”
This latest investment is made possible through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history.