In Rhode Island, the Department of Environmental Management’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission (ALPC) will manage $5.6 million for their new “U.S. held agricultural easements to support farm viability in Rhode Island” project in partnership with NRCS. The ALPC will also provide over $1 million of in-kind partner contributions to the project.

“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is an example of conservation partnerships at their best,” said R. Phou Vongkhamdy, State Conservationist in Rhode Island for USDA-NRCS. “Thanks to the boost in funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, we’re able to invest even more in this popular and important program and increase our conservation impact across the Ocean State, supporting Rhode Island’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”

The goal of Rhode Island’s new RCPP project is long term land protection through perpetual easements. This project will conserve prime and important farmland soils, terrestrial habitats and the wildlife that they support.

Rhode Island is both the smallest state and the second most densely populated state in the nation. Its remaining open spaces and agricultural land are facing extreme development pressures. Protecting as much of the state’s remaining agricultural land as possible is necessary to retain the agricultural sector’s viability. Offering alternative easement models in the form of U.S.-held easements is imperative to protect soil resources, increase access to farmland preservation options state-wide, and ensure equal access to conservation easement options.

Until now, the only agricultural land easements offered by NRCS in RI are through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program’s Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE), which are limited by the available funding and management capacity of eligible entities. This new RCPP project will allow Rhode Island farmland owners to apply directly to NRCS for U.S.-held agricultural easements.

Yesterday’s investment is made with funding available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda and the largest investment in climate action and conservation in world history, which has enabled NRCS to boost funding for RCPP. In total, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $19.5 billion to support USDA’s oversubscribed conservation programs, including $4.95 billion for RCPP. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation. See the list of all the 92 awarded projects here.

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, RCCP has made 334 awards totaling more than $3 billion, including two Rhode Island projects. Since its inception, RCPP has made 812 awards involving more than 4,000 partner organizations, with more than $4 billion in NRCS funding amplified by another $4 billion in partner contributions.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

# # #

USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.