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(WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is putting Farmers First by investing up to $310 million to expand producer conservation activities across the nation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). USDA’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting RCPP project proposals now through August 24, 2026, to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners boost their operations and conserve natural resources.
“This significant investment through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program will further
enable us to leverage our partnerships as force multipliers in supporting America’s farmers,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “We’re looking forward to seeing the results on the ground while we also work to keep working lands in working hands.”
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act is delivering the largest long-term investment in NRCS
conservation programs in decades, including support for RCPP. It will deliver $425 million in fiscal year 2026 and an increase to $450 million from fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031.
RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource
challenges on agricultural land.
In the past year, NRCS has improved RCPP, through streamlining partnership agreement processes and increasing flexibilities to ensure the program works more effectively for conservation partners and America’s farmers and ranchers. Now, 75% of the funding goes directly to the American farmer or is used to cover the cost of conservation practice implementation.
About the Program
There are two separate funding opportunities:
• RCPP Classic: Projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with
producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners.
• RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (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.
NRCS ranks proposals based on how they address the following priorities:
• Addressing soil health, water quality, or wildlife habitat with an aim to improve land health,
enhance resource management, and promote sustainable agriculture and long-term protection of agricultural, grassland, and forestland viability.
• Soil health projects using practices that focus on minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing soil cover, increasing natural vitality, and maintaining living roots throughout the year.
• Leveraging precision agriculture technologies to target conservation efforts based on specific field conditions, potentially reducing costs and improving resource efficiency.
• Focusing on Farmers First projects, especially those that provide technical and financial
assistance via contributions for planning and practice designs to support producer contracts.
• Supporting projects led by Indian Tribes.
More Information
The $310 million is available for both RCPP Classic and AFA projects, including a $30 million set aside for projects with Indian Tribes.
Details about RCPP Classic and RCPP AFAs are available on Grants.gov. Project proposals for RCPP are being accepted through August 24, 2026, on the RCPP portal. For more information about RCPP, visit the RCPP website.
This investment builds on other recent NRCS investments to engage partners to extend the reach of conservation. In late May, NRCS announced its plans to invest $65 million through Conservation Innovation Grants.
For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.