Natural Resources Conservation Service Accepting 2023 Applications for the War Eagle Creek Watershed Initiative RCPP Project

Farmers and landowners in the War Eagle Creek Watershed Initiative Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project area in Arkansas can apply to receive financial assistance in fiscal year 2023.

Farmers and landowners in Arkansas who submit applications to their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office by May 26, 2023, will be considered for this assistance.

“RCPP is a unique program that leverages non-federal investments brought by conservation partners to accelerate conservation in selected project areas,” said Mike Sullivan, NRCS state conservationist in Arkansas. “This approach helps us maximize use of our collective resources to address locally identified concerns.”

The RCPP project and associated counties in the project area:

War Eagle Creek Watershed Initiative (Portions of Benton, Madison, and Washington Counties) 

Lead partner Beaver Watershed Alliance, along with the Beaver Water District, Benton, Washington, and Madison County Conservation Districts, Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Watershed Conservation Resource Center, and other community partners will accelerate voluntary conservation practice adoption within the War Eagle watershed with the use of RCPP project funding. Partners will collaborate with local producers and landowners in the project area to identify resource concerns to address using land management practices that improve farm sustainability and water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, and pathogen loads to Beaver Lake. The funding will be utilized to assist landowners over a five year period. The project will utilize conservation practice implementation on private lands that will improve water quality and wildlife habitat.  

Individuals and other entities actively engaged in agricultural production, or have forested acreage, are eligible to participate in RCPP. RCPP offers a continuous application sign-up. However, to be considered for funding, applications must be received by May 26, 2023. Applicants can sign up for the 2023 program year by contacting their local USDA Field Service Center.

All applications will be evaluated for funding based on how well they align with project priorities using procedures to optimize environmental benefits. Applications ranking highest in a funding category will be funded according to priority and is subject to availability of program funds.

RCPP promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address.

All USDA Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS should call ahead to schedule an appointment.  Online services are available to customers with an eAuth account, which provides access to the www.farmers.gov portal where producers can view and track certain USDA program applications and payments. Customers who do not already have an eAuth account can enroll at www.farmers.gov/sign-in. 

For more information about RCPP, visit http://www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/ or contact your local USDA/NRCS Field Service Center