(FOA)-Regional
Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) 2020 (USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-20-GEN0010751);
May 18, 2020
Agency
US
Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS)
Description
This
announcement is for the RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA)
competition, through which NRCS can make up to 15 awards per fiscal year,
providing RCPP funding directly to eligible partners using a grant-like
approach.
The
fiscal year 2020 RCPP Classic funding announcement is scheduled for release in
summer 2020. For RCPP Classic, a majority of RCPP funding is provided by NRCS to
producers and landowners through contracts and conservation easements. Through
AFAs, RCPP funding is provided to partners, which in turn are responsible for
working with and providing funding to producers and landowners for eligible
conservation activities.
The
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS
conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions that
expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional
natural resource concerns. NRCS seeks to co-invest with RCPP partners to
implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation
challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource
concerns they seek to address.
Through
RCPP, partners propose projects—using guidance contained in this notice—that
generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource
objectives in a state/multistate area, or address one
or more primary resource concerns within a Critical Conservation Area (CCA).
NRCS and partners design, implement and evaluate RCPP projects on agricultural
and non-industrial private forest land. RCPP is now a standalone program
driven by three key objectives—incentivizing innovation and flexibility,
leveraging partner contributions and measuring environmental outcomes. NRCS will
co-invest in projects selected through a competitive application process that
evaluates applications based on four criteria: impact, partner contributions,
innovation, and partnerships and
management.
Priority
Resource Concerns for the Mississippi River Basin States (AR, KY, IA, IL, IN,
LA, MN, MO, MS, OH, SD, TN, WI):
·
Water
quality degradation
·
Inadequate
habitat for fish, wildlife, and invertebrates
·
Excess/insufficient
water/drought
RCPP
AFA applicants must describe the innovative nature of the conservation approach
they are proposing to justify potential funding through the AFA funding
announcement, versus RCPP Classic. Additionally, applicants should consider the
additional administrative and technical assistance responsibilities that
accompany receipt of an AFA award.
Announcement
Number:
USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-20-GEN0010751
Closing
Date:
May
18, 2020
Link
to Full Announcement
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325380
Contact
Information