More than $200 Million in Water Conservation Funding Available from USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a $235 million investment for improving water quality, drought prevention, and habitat protection through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a $235 million investment for improving water quality, drought prevention, and habitat protection through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a new conservation tool from the USDA. The RCPP was created by the Farm Bill in 2014 to help the USDA work with several partners and ranchers, farmers, etc. to improve conservation efforts in their areas.
"This is a new, innovative approach to [water] conservation," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This initiative allows local partners the opportunity to design and invest in conservation projects specifically tailored for their communities. These public-private partnerships can have an impact that's well beyond what the federal government could accomplish on its own. These efforts keep our land and water clean and promote tremendous economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, and other industries."
"USDA continues to look for new opportunities to address drought across the West. RCPP projects like this one in Colorado highlight the work the NRCS is doing with partners to increase efficiency while supporting production," Vilsack said. In January, USDA delivered first round funding to 115 high-impact projects, including the Colorado project, across all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.