Who is eligible?

Question

Who is eligible?

Accepted Answer

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.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Eligibility

Application Instructions

Forms

Resources

Details