Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals with partners, NRCS expands the reach of its conservation programs. RCPP projects fall under two categories: RCPP Classic (implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners, and communities, in collaboration with project partners) and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFAs, where NRCS provides funding to partners to support conservation activities with eligible producers and landowners). RCPP funding is divided evenly between two funding pools: Critical Conservation Areas (50 percent) and State/Multistate (50 percent). USDA is now accepting 2026 RCPP project proposals; the current funding opportunity makes up to $310 million available for partnership projects.

Partner Eligibility:

Individual producers are not directly eligible for either RCPP program, however, they can apply as part of a producer organization. Producers seeking to carry out conservation activities consistent with a RCPP project in the project’s geographic area can apply directly to NRCS.

Entities that are classified as one of the following organizational types can serve as an eligible RCPP partner:

• An agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers.

• A State or unit of local government.

• An Indian Tribe.

• A farmer cooperative.

• A water district, irrigation district, acequia, rural water district or association, or other organization with specific water delivery authority to agricultural producers.

• A municipal water or wastewater treatment entity.

• An institution of higher education.

• An organization or entity with an established history of working cooperatively with producers on agricultural land, as determined by NRCS, to address—

  • Local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, or nonindustrial private forest land management; or

  • Critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource issues.

• An entity, such as an Indian Tribe, State government, local government, or a nongovernmental organization that has a farmland or grassland protection program that purchases agricultural land easements

• A conservation district.

Producer and Landowner Eligibility:

Once NRCS selects a project and executes an RCPP agreement with a lead partner, agricultural producers may participate in an RCPP project in one of two ways. First, producers may engage with project partners and delegate a willing partner to act as their representative in working with NRCS. Second, producers seeking to carry out conservation activities consistent with a RCPP project in the project's geographic area can apply directly to NRCS.

Land Eligibility:

RCPP projects must be carried out on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land or associated land on which NRCS determines an eligible activity would help achieve conservation benefits (i.e., improved condition of natural resources resulting from implementation of conservation activities).

Eligible conservation activities may be implemented on public lands when those activities will benefit eligible lands as determined by NRCS and are included in the scope of an approved RCPP project.

Two different sets of terms apply depending on who you are.

If you are a farmer or rancher: you do not get an RCPP award. Producers participate through a funded project — either "producers may engage with project partners and delegate a willing partner to act as their representative in working with NRCS," or "producers seeking to carry out conservation activities consistent with a RCPP project in the project's geographic area can apply directly to NRCS." Your payments then come through the underlying NRCS contract or easement (EQIP/CSP/ACEP-equivalent practice rates), and no per-producer payment rate, cost-share percentage, or payment cap is published on the RCPP program page. Ask the lead partner or your state NRCS office for the project's practice payment schedule.

If you are an eligible partner organization applying to lead a project (FY 2026 notices of funding opportunity, both due 4:59 p.m. ET August 24, 2026):

• Award floor $250,000; award ceiling $10,000,000 per project (identical for RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangements).

• Total available: "Up to $310 million is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2026 AFA announcement using the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Public Law 119-21 funding."

• Tribal set-aside: "Up to $30 million of the total available funding is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes." Shared across both announcements.

• Cost sharing is required, and the bar is high: "Partners are responsible for identifying any combination of cash and in-kind value-added contributions to leverage NRCS's RCPP investments. It is NRCS's goal that partner contributions at least equal the NRCS investment in an RCPP project. Substantive partner contributions are given priority consideration as part of the RCPP application evaluation criteria." Effectively plan on roughly 1:1.

• Funding pools: "RCPP funding is divided evenly among two funding pools" — Critical Conservation Areas ("eight geographic areas chosen by the Secretary of Agriculture. These receive 50 percent of funding") and State/Multistate ("projects in a single state or across several states. These receive 50 percent of funding").

• Two delivery models: RCPP Classic runs through NRCS contracts and easements with producers; under AFAs "NRCS provides funding to partners" and "RCPP AFA funding reimburses partners for conservation activities done for or on behalf of producers, landowners, or other entities."

• Scoring weights impact, partner contributions, and partnership management; "RCPP ranking criteria give preference to applicants that meaningfully engage historically underserved farmers and ranchers."

• Step 1: Partners interested in submitting a proposal must obtain level 2 eAuthentication permissions. This process can be lengthy and is solely a partner responsibility. Partners are strongly encouraged to begin the eAuth process as soon as possible to minimize the possibility of the eAuth process creating a roadblock to RCPP proposal submission. Details on how to apply for eAuth permissions are in the RCPP Partner Proposal Guide.

• Step 2: Partners must request access to the RCPP portal . This process typically takes a few business days. During this process NRCS must verify a users’ eAuth permissions and during high volume periods it may take over a week.

• Step 3: At least 4 weeks prior to the application deadline, and before starting an application in the RCPP portal, eligible entities interested in applying to RCPP are advised to request a meeting with the appropriate NRCS State RCPP coordinator(s).

Partners are responsible for ensuring the above steps are completed early enough to meet the deadline for submitting an RCPP proposal. Most steps involve actions outside of NRCS and cannot be expedited.

• RCPP Fact Sheet

• RCPP in Action (success stories)

• Interactive maps of awarded RCPP projects (2020-2024)

• Resources for Lead Partners of RCPP Projects

• RCPP Easements