LUBBOCK, TX – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is awarding $325 million across 42 Regional Conservation Partnership Program projects, with a larger share of the funding intended to reach producers directly.
NRCS Chief Colton Buckley says partners competed for awards of up to $10 million. Projects include voluntary conservation easements, grazing and land-management work, tribal partnerships and habitat restoration efforts in several states.
Buckley says at least 75% of funding directed to producers will go directly to farmers, ranchers and landowners implementing conservation practices. The agency is also reducing administrative overhead and simplifying agreements.
NRCS consolidated what had been two separate negotiation agreements into one process. Buckley says previous projects could face delays lasting months or even years before implementation began.
The agency says the changes are intended to move conservation funding into the field faster while supporting working farms, ranches and private lands.
Farm-Level Takeaway: NRCS says streamlined agreements and direct producer funding should help conservation projects reach farms and ranches faster.