HURON, S.D. — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service  announced Sept. 18 an $8.7 million investment for an innovative conservation project in South Dakota through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Alternative Funding Arrangements.

“Through these projects, partners are able to take the lead and leverage the flexibilities that make RCPP so effective,” said Jeff Zimprich. “Partners are delivering conservation in new and innovative ways, and by working together, we can harness our collective resources to produce greater results for conservation and agriculture.”

Ducks Unlimited proposes to harness a large partnership to implement agricultural practices that improve soil health for agricultural production, wildlife and society, and improve the management of water in a landscape prone to both flooding and drought. Targeted practices include the planting of perennial grasses, reduced tillage, integration of cover crops, expansion of livestock grazing, and provision of mentorship opportunities to farmers and ranchers. The outcomes data collection approach, developed by project partners, will measure conservation, economic, and social outcomes on an anticipated 30,000 acres.

Nationally, NRCS will invest $50 million in 10 conservation projects across 16 states. Through these projects, partners will contribute more than $65 million to amplify the conservation work that can be performed on agricultural land and privately-owned forests across the nation.

Partners are given the liberty to manage an RCPP project and the associated relationships with participating producers and landowners. They identify those producers and landowners, contract with them, and carry out the technical assistance. In addition, through the AFA provision, NRCS has the authority to pursue innovative conservation approaches, such as pay-for-performance, that are not possible under RCPP Classic.

Visit the RCPP website at https://bit.ly/2FMRXFw for full project details or see the projects on this interactive map at https://bit.ly/2FIzrOD.

More information

While AFA projects were authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill, the 2018 Farm Bill enhanced the AFA provision and authorized NRCS to award up to 15 AFA projects annually. Through AFAs, approved project partners can work directly with farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners to carry out RCPP projects, as opposed to implementing projects through NRCS producer contracts and landowner easements.

The Farm Bill statute highlights some project types that may be particularly suited to AFAs:

• Projects that use innovative approaches to leverage the federal investment in conservation.
• Projects that deploy a pay-for-performance conservation approach.
• Projects that seek large-scale infrastructure investment that generate conservation benefits for agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forest owners.

Farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners access RCPP through partner entities, such as conservation districts, producer associations, water districts, state, or local governments, American Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and nongovernmental organizations.

For more information on the RCPP program, visit the RCPP website at https://bit.ly/2FMRXFw.