Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative

Updated 01/08/2010

Introduction

The Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) is a voluntary conservation initiative that enables the use of three conservation programs and resources of eligible partners to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands.  The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the authority for CCPI to the Chief of NRCS.

Eligible producers located in an approved project area identified in a partner agreement, may apply for program assistance.

Eligible programs include:

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Under CCPI, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) enters into partnership agreements with eligible entities that want to enhance conservation outcomes on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands. After the NRCS Chief or State Conservationist has announced approved CCPI project areas, eligible producers may submit a program application.

Legal authority for CCPI is found in Section 2707 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 which establishes the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) by amending Section 1243 of the Food Security Act of 1985 [16 U.S.C. 3843].

 

2010 CCPI Program Information

The fiscal year 2010 CCPI program will be announced when the notice of Request for Proposals (RFP) has cleared all Departmental and legal reviews. The RFP will be published in the Federal Register and this Website.

Additional fund requests for fiscal year 2010 to support FY2009 projects will be announced after project progress is evaluated and fund availability finalized.

Program Description

If funds are available, each fiscal year, NRCS will make Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) benefits available to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands who participate in approved CCPI project areas.

As authorized by Congress, this is not a grant program to eligible partners. This is a program whereby approved eligible partners will enter into multi-year agreements with NRCS to help enhance conservation outcomes on agricultural lands and private nonindustrial private forest lands. The intent of CCPI is for the Federal government to leverage investment in natural resources conservation along with services and non-Federal resources of eligible partners. Individual producers are not eligible to submit a partnership proposal.

Eligible Partners

Federally recognized Indian Tribes, State and local units of government, producer associations, farmer cooperatives, institutions of higher education, and nongovernmental organizations with a history of working cooperatively with producers. Individual producers are not eligible to submit a partner proposal.

Producers

Owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands are eligible to apply for program benefits offered through CCPI. In order for a producer to be considered for financial assistance through a CCPI partner agreement, the land associated with a program application must be located within an approved CCPI project area. Only producers who are eligible for EQIP, WHIP or CSP may receive financial assistance through these programs. When announced and available refer to Fact Sheets and visit the NRCS program website for information how and when to apply to the EQIP, WHIP and CSP programs. For more detail regarding eligibility and application requirements contact your local NRCS field office.

Funding

For CCPI, the 2008 Farm Bill requires that 6 percent of the funds for EQIP and WHIP and 6 percent of the allowed acres for the CSP programs be reserved for support of producer contracts approved under this authority. Of these funds reserved for CCPI, 90 percent are to be used for projects within States and territories of the U.S., as approved by NRCS State Conservationists. The remaining 10 percent of these resources are to be awarded to “multi-State” project proposal based upon a competitive national process. Please note that the amount of financial assistance provided to approved projects will change each fiscal year depending upon appropriations and agency priorities. Each fiscal year, NRCS will announce the availability of CCPI financial and technical assistance through the following NRCS administered programs:

Environmental Quality Incentives Program Financial Assistance Funds

• Funding to be announced

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Financial Assistance Funds

• Funding to be announced

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

• Funding to be announced 

How To Submit a Partner Proposal

NRCS will announce CCPI availability through announcements and a new Request for Proposals (RFP) sometime after the beginning of the new 2010 fiscal year. Watch this website for more information.

Partner proposals must submitted to the appropriate NRCS State Conservationist or to the Chief as described in the Notice of Request for Proposals published in the Federal Register.

In-State Partner Proposals: Submit CCPI proposals for land within a given State should be submitted to the State Conservationist for evaluation and approval.

Multi-State Partner Proposals: Submit multi-state CCPI partnership proposals to the NRCS Chief for consideration in a national evaluation process. Multi-state proposals must be accompanied by a letter of review from each of the NRCS State Conservationists included in the proposal.

Notices and Additional Information

Nationally Approved Multi-State CCPI Projects - Fiscal Year 2009

The NRCS Chief has approved the following national level multi-State CCPI projects. Project proposals geographically located “within-State” are approved and announced by individual State Conservationists.

For within-State approved projects, consult the individual State's EQIP page, which can be reached from their Programs pages.

State Approved CCPI Projects - Fiscal Year 2009

Program Contact

Mark Parson, 202-720-1840; mark.parson@wdc.usda.gov

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