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Press Release

Colorado NRCS and Colorado Open Lands Announce 2025 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Application Batching Dates for Conservation Activities

NEW Fiscal Year 2025 Application signup Cut-off Date through the Acequia Phase II RCPP Project
Publish Date
Acequia ditch

Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Colorado Open Lands (COL) are announcing a funding opportunity through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. 

Colorado Open Land USDA RCPP MAP _May 2025.

Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Colorado Open Lands (COL) are announcing a funding opportunity through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Producers within the project area identified on the map that are interested in implementing land management conservation projects have until October 1st, 2025 to submit an application. Producers within the project area that are interested in enrolling in a conservation easement on their agricultural operation have until October 25th, 2025, to submit an application.  

RCPP Land Management (LM):

To be eligible for consideration for this funding opportunity, an agricultural producer must have updated farm records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA), must irrigate from a recognized acequia, and must meet all program eligibility requirements. We encourage projects that benefit more than one producer. Interested participants must meet the specific funding pool required criteria to be considered for funding.

The goals of this special funding opportunity are to:

  • Assist acequias with infrastructure improvements such as replacing headgates or installing measuring devices
  • Assist producers with cross fencing, riparian fencing, and installation of livestock watering tanks to support grazing management
  • Support implementation of projects identified by the Culebra Watershed Assessment
  • Assist producer with addressing the following resource concerns: insufficient/excess irrigation/drought, inadequate aquatic habitat, soil quality limitations, inadequate terrestrial habitat, weather resilience, and wind and water erosion

If your acequia is interested in seeking financial support for land management conservation, please contact us in advance of the deadline to learn how you can apply. Colorado Open Lands will also be offering owner cost share assistance for conservation projects. Be sure to sign up early to take part in this limited funding option. To determine if your easement application is eligible for this select fund pool and for additional information about applications contact Seth Armentrout, Colorado Open Lands Project Manager at 719-289-7332 and Sarmentrout@coloradoopenlands.org, or the San Luis Service Center at 970-641-0494.  

Fully completed application packets must be received by the San Luis Valley Service Center no later than 4:00 PM MST on an advertised signup date to be considered.

RCPP Entity Held Easement (EHE)/Conservation Easement:

If you are an agricultural producer wishing to enroll in a conservation easement, please know that you will need to work with an eligible land trust to apply by the deadline. Applicants (eligible entities/land trusts) must be a federally recognized Indian Tribe, state or local units of government, or a non-governmental organization. Applicants must have an established farmland protection program that purchases conservation easements for the purpose of protecting conservation values.

USDA NRCS provides up to 50 percent of the appraised fair market value of the conservation easement in this voluntary program. The federal share is dependent upon US Right of Enforcement. The qualified landowner retains ownership and continues to use the land in a manner that protects the conservation values.

To be eligible to receive RCPP funding, eligible entity applicants must demonstrate a commitment to long-term conservation of lands; a capability to acquire, manage, and enforce easements; adequate staff capacity for monitoring and easement stewardship; and the availability of funds.

To determine if your easement application is eligible for this select fund pool and for additional information about applications contact Sally Wier, Colorado Open Lands Project Manager at 719-480-8471 and SWier@coloradoopenlands.org, Renee Koch, NRCS Easement Program Manager at renee.koch@usda.gov, or Marissa Markus, NRCS RCPP Coordinator at marissa.markus@usda.gov.

Fully completed application packets must be received by no later than 4:00 PM MST on an advertised signup date to be considered.  Application packets may be sent to the attention of Easements Program Manager, by email (preferred) to renee.koch@usda.gov; by FedEx or UPS to USDA-NRCS, Denver Federal Center, Building 56, Room 2604, Denver, CO 80225; or by USPS to USDA-NRCS, Denver Federal Center, PO Box 25426, Denver, CO 80225. 

Applications postmarked or time stamped after these deadlines WILL NOT be accepted. Only fully completed and properly executed applications that are submitted by these signup dates on the appropriate forms and accompanied by all required supporting documentation will be considered for funding in FY 2025 for RCPP EHE. All qualified applications will be reviewed, ranked, and considered for funding according to the Final RCPP EHE rule, policy, and guidance.  Complete applications received after the cutoff date may be considered if another sign-up date is announced. Incomplete applications WILL NOT be considered.

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