Arkansas farmers and landowners have until the following deadlines to submit applications for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). All projects will be offering financial assistance to implement conservation activities to eligible landowners and operators in fiscal year 2026. 

Application Deadlines:

1. Mid-South Development District Project                                                             January 15, 2026
2. AR-LA CDN Open Pine Landscape Restoration #2 Project                                  January 30, 2026    
3. North Arkansas Quail Focal Renewal Project                                                       January 30, 2026
4. War Eagle Creek Watershed Initiative                                                                  January 30, 2026

Additional RCPP Project Information:

The Mid-South Development District Project is a Tennessee-led RCPP with Crittenden County as the only Arkansas location. The project aims to enhance ecosystem health by establishing diverse habitats on the edges of production sites, supporting ecosystem services that reduce synthetic inputs and improve water and soil quality.

The AR-LA Conservation Delivery Network (CDN) Open Pine Landscape Restoration #2 Project will address wildlife habitat, fire management, and water quality concerns in Arkansas and Louisiana. By implementing open pine forest management practices (such as prescribed fire, forest stand improvement, and more) across private lands in 27 southern Arkansas counties, this project will advance the recovery of species of conservation concern. For more information and to reach out to your local biologist, please visit http://www.openpine.org.

The North Arkansas Quail Focal Renewal Project, led by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is available for signup within Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Randolph, Sharp, and Stone Counties. This project focuses on early successional habitat to benefit quail, pollinators, and other wildlife.

The War Eagle Creek Watershed Initiative is in portions of Benton, Washington, and Madison Counties, led by the Beaver Watershed Alliance. The project is an opportunity to address resources of concern on deciduous forest and pasturelands, reduce sediment loading from unpaved roads, and implement stream restorations on the War Eagle Creek using natural channel design principles.

Individuals and other entities actively engaged in agricultural production are eligible to participate in RCPP. RCPP offers a continuous application sign-up. However, to be considered for funding, applications must be received by the deadlines mentioned above. Applicants can sign up for the 2026 program year by contacting their local USDA NRCS 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 are 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.

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

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