Lewis and Clark/Lower James River Project Announces Fiscal Year 2024 Application Date
The scope of the project is the Lower James River area
HURON, S.D., Dec. 12, 2023— The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Dakota is announcing the application period for the Lewis and Clark/Lower James River Project as part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The scope of the project is the Lower James River area.
While applications are accepted year-round, the application review date for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) is January 12, 2024. Landowners and producers are encouraged to visit their local USDA Service Center for more information and to enroll in the program.
The primary focus of the project has been to decrease fecal coliform and total suspended solids in impaired streams within the watershed area. The practices implemented as part of this project aim to improve water quality, soil quality, and reduce soil erosion.
“This project focuses on water quality and and reducing nutrient loading into streams and water bodies of South Dakota. RCPP in the past has helped us achieve some of our goals by funding practices to reduce loading. We expect this round of funding to be just as valuable,” said Rocky Knippling, Watershed Coordinator, for the South Central Watershed Implementation Project.
RCPP promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. The NRCS aids producers through partnership agreements and through program contracts or easement agreements. Assistance is delivered in accordance with the rules of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
“Through RCPP, partners are able to utilize or direct NRCS program dollars towards resource concerns that are important to them. In this case, the James River Water Development District saw a need to address water quality in the Lewis and Clark and Lower James River watersheds and were able to direct over $2,000,000 in Farm Bill funds towards their efforts” said Matt Morlock, NRCS RCPP Coordinator.
To learn more about technical and financial assistance available through NRCS conservation programs, use the service center locator to locate your local USDA Service Center. To learn more about the Lewis and Clark/James River Project, contact RCPP Coordinator Matt Morlock at matthew.morlock@usda.gov.
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