Contact:
Tracy Robillard
News Release #2020-04-16
PALMER, ALASKA, April 16, 2020 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced it’s investing nearly $1.3 million in Alaska for a new conservation project in the Fairbanks region that will protect critical wetland sites adjacent to Eielson Air Force Base.
The funding comes from USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and will be matched with contributions from The Conservation Fund and the U.S. Air Force, bringing the project total investment to nearly $2.6 million.
“This project is a great example of partners working together to align our collective resources toward a common goal,” said State Conservationist Alan McBee. “We’re making an impact on natural resource conservation in Alaska that could not be achieved by any single organization.”
Caption: An aerial view of the Tanana River. Photo from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Tanana River Watershed RCPP project will protect critical wetland sites on private lands adjacent to Eielson Air Force Base and the Tanana River through conservation easements.
The Tanana River Watershed is the largest populated watershed in Interior Alaska, totaling more than 28.5 million acres and containing 25 cities, towns, and villages. Significant increases in urbanization and non-point source pollution have followed expanded military activity in the region. The over-arching goals of the RCPP project are to:
- Limit impacts to soil and water quality and quantity from forecasted military and urban expansion;
- Support state-wide and local food security; and
- Establish reliable funding for long-term resource conservation.
From an agricultural perspective, food security is a critical component driving USDA’s investment in the project, as the Tanana Valley has become one of Alaska’s foremost agriculture and timber regions. The Alaska Division of Agriculture lists 103 farms in the Tanana Valley, representing about one-third of Alaska’s farms. Farms in the Tanana Valley produce much of the state's barley and oats, as well as hay, potatoes, milk, greenhouse plants, and vegetables. The Tanana and Chena rivers also provide critical spawning and rearing habitat for subsistence harvesting of Yukon River King salmon.
RCPP uses a partner-driven approach to fund innovative solutions to natural resource challenges. NRCS and partners work together with private landowners and producers to implement a variety of conservation activities, including land management practices and systems, short-term land rentals, conservation easements and watershed structures. The mix of conservation activities carried out under each project is dependent on a project’s goals, objectives and conservation benefits.
Including the newly awarded Tanana River Watershed project, Alaska has five RCPP projects across the state. Previously awarded RCPP projects are:
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Hoonah Native Forest Lands Partnership. Lead Partner: Sealaska Corporation. NRCS Investment: $1.8 million
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Implementing Education, Outreach, and Conservation Practices on Tribal Land for Socially Disadvantaged Producers and Alaska Tribal Conservation Districts. Lead Partner: Tyonek Tribal Conservation District. NRCS Investment: $1.4 million
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Keex' Kwaan' Community Forest Partnership. Lead Partner: Sealaska Corporation. NRCS Investment: $2 million
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Copper Basin Subsistence Landscape Resiliency. Lead Partner: Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission. NRCS Investment: $1.7 million.
Learn more about RCPP in Alaska on the NRCS Alaska RCPP webpage.
Nationally, NRCS is investing $206 million for 48 partner-driven conservation projects across 29 states, while leveraging nearly $300 million in partner contributions.
For a full list of projects selected for funding nationally, view the multimedia online story map at: https://arcg.is/4HeWX
Though RCPP was first authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, the 2018 Farm Bill made changes to strengthen the program and simplify its rules. RCPP is now a stand-alone program with $300 million annually available for partner-driven projects across the U.S. In addition to the general RCPP projects announced today, NRCS has already awarded more than $50 million for 18 renewals of 2014 Farm Bill projects. A separate RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) funding announcement is currently open until May 18.
Since 2015, RCPP nationally has combined $1 billion in NRCS investments with close to $2 billion in partner dollars to implement conservation practices nationwide. There are currently 341 active RCPP projects and close to 2,000 RCPP partners.
Project Contacts
Lead Partner Contact:
The Conservation Fund, John Wros
Email: jwros@conservationfund.org
Phone: 907-202-1594
Website: https://www.conservationfund.org/
NRCS Contact: Alan McBee, State Conservationist
Email: Alan.McBee@usda.gov
Phone: 907-761-7780
Website: www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov
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