The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. 

Partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the federal investment. Texas-led RCPP projects will receive $30.95 million in funding. Selected RCPP projects, including those in Texas will help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. 

Today’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 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (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. 

“Due to the increase in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re able to invest even more this year in this important program, increasing our impact across the landscape,” said NRCS Texas State Conservationist Kristy Oates. “Through RCPP, we’re able to expand the footprint of conservation and climate-smart practices through public-private partnerships that cultivate collaboration and leverage collective resources.” 

“America’s working lands and forests are crucial in our fight against the climate crisis—from sequestering carbon pollution to absorbing the impact of storms and floods,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “Today’s awards make sure that the people who know those landscapes best—farmers, ranchers and forest landowners—have the resources they need to lead this important work.”

The projects support priorities in conservation and climate and can save farmers money and increase productivity. For example, there are six projects that support use of innovative technologies to reduce enteric methane emissions in livestock. There are also 16 projects that address water conservation in the West, ensuring producers and communities have the tools they need to adapt in the face of continued drought pressures. And 42 projects promote terrestrial wildlife habitat conservation and restoration, as directed by the recent USDA Secretarial memo: Conserving and Restoring Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity and Corridors. 

NRCS also set aside $100 million for Tribal-led projects, part of a broader effort to support Tribes and Tribal producers through NRCS conservation programs. From this set aside, NRCS has made seven awards to five different tribes and tribal entities. 

By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation. 

In Texas, three new RCPP projects were selected for funding.

Selected Texas-led RCPP projects include:

• Restoring Post Oak Savannah for Houston Toad Recovery, Aquifer Recharge and Wildfire Risk Reduction: The Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy will implement the restoration of post oak savannah and grassland ecosystems that will support population recovery of the federally endangered Houston toad by restoring ecological and hydrologic function to at least 8,200 acres of degraded habitat in East-central Texas. This will benefit numerous other upland wildlife and human communities by supporting sustainable land management, improving aquifer recharge, and mitigating wildfire risk. Habitat restoration across the nine-county project area will include mulching, herbicide, native seed planting, and prescribed fire and grazing to open savannah understory from woody brush overgrowth.                                                              
• North Texas Prairie Initiative: The Native Prairies Association of Texas will work to achieve the primary project goal of accelerating the permanent protection of more high-quality grassland by engaging with private landowner to conserve habitat for diverse wildlife and climate-smart agriculture. The North Texas Prairie Initiative works with 33 counties encompassing the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, a strategically important region for native prairie due to increasing fragmentation by rapid urban development.                                                                                                                                                                           
• The Compatible Lands Foundation (CLF) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)/ Department of Defense (DOD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Texas Partnership: The Compatible Lands Foundations and its military partners, Fort Cavazos and Dyess Air Force Base, will partner with NRCS to purchase both working land and non-working land easements to prevent loss of working lands, habitat and open space and to address incompatible development impacting the military missions. This includes protection of natural areas, wildlife habitat and regional water quality as compatible with working lands in the Prairie Grasslands critical conservation area. Compatible Lands Foundation aims to promote conservation activities that assist Fort Cavazos and Dyess Air Force Base with sustaining their military missions. 

See the list of all the 92 awarded projects here.  

Projects are being awarded under both RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners. Through RCPP AFA, the lead partner works directly with agricultural producers to support the development of innovative conservation approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic. 

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, RCCP has made 334 awards totaling more than $3 billion. 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. 

To learn more, visit usda.gov.    

For more information about NRCS and its conservation programs, visit the Texas NRCS website or contact your local USDA Service Center.